A chronicle of the lives of five generations of women in the author’s family,
this fascinating story spans over a hundred years in its narrative sweep,
from the late nineteenth century to the early years of the twenty-first. It
mirrors and critiques the progress of a nation, its society and its women,
seamlessly blending biography with social history.
Sundar-ma, Bharati Ray’s great-grandmother, was married into a
conservative household at twelve. Self-educated, because formal education
was out of her reach, she was an intelligent, deeply thoughtful woman
who witnessed some of the most tumultuous times in India’s history and
actively participated in India’s freedom struggle. Ushabala, the author’s
grandmother, was the proud wife of a college lecturer and a consummate
home-maker, while Kalyani, Bharati Ray’s Ma, was the first woman in
the family to get a college degree, but gave up her studies and a career
to raise her children. Ma is lovingly described as feisty and irrepressible,
a keen traveller and always ready for adventure. Kalyani’s academic
successes heralded the author’s own remarkable achievements, first as
lecturer in Calcutta University, then as its first woman pro-vice-chancellor
and later as a Member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha. Bharati Ray’s
daughters, Khuku and Tista, both extremely bright, lead busy, fulfilling
lives as academics.