books about India – Equal Opportunity Reader

[REVIEW] Sultana’s Dream, by Roquia Sakhawat Hussain

An e-reader lying on a wooden table with a lacy white tablecloth, some green leaves and an iced coffee. The reader shows the cover of Sultana's Dream, which depicts a group of South Asian women walking on a broad country path in a black and white photograph.

(Buy it on Bookshop HERE) There seems to be this weirdly pervasive idea in popular thought that modernity is the sole property of the (white) West. There are similar backwards modes of thought about science fiction, feminism, utopia, dystopia and the examination of gender roles. Somehow, it’s acceptable in certain circles–sometimes unwittingly–to really believe thatContinue reading “[REVIEW] Sultana’s Dream, by Roquia Sakhawat Hussain”

[REVIEW] Pashmina, by Nidhi Chanani

A black tablet displays the cover of Pashmina, which depicts an Indian-American teenage girl wrapped in a red and gold pashmina shawl that floats above her and forms a background for the title of the book. The tablet rests on a blue and gold pashmina, with a tiny black statue of Ganesh peeking over the right side of it.

(Buy it on Bookshop.) Something that I’m always learning is that discussions of trauma don’t always have to be epic. There is a time to dive deep into injustice, of course. But sometimes, it’s right to acknowledge something happened, commit to examining its effect on your life and community, and fold that understanding into theContinue reading “[REVIEW] Pashmina, by Nidhi Chanani”