The Sickle

From former IAS officer Anita Agnihotri’s oeuvre comes another novel, this time challenging the very form of the genre. ‘The Sickle’ — ‘Kasté’ in the Bangla original — weaves stories of farming, drought, suicide and female foeticide in Maharashtra. Translator Arunava Sinha says the story is told through a series of short and long vignettes, incidents, moods and descriptions, yet it paints an epic picture of intersecting and overlapping crises: female foeticide, sexual assault, the violence of caste, feudal relations, farmers’ suicides and climate change in all its manifestations. This novel tells the darkest truths about contemporary India.

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Left Behind: Surviving Suicide Loss

“Come to terms with death. Thereafter anything is possible,” said Camus. Easier said than done as this is, her husband’s death by suicide left author Nandini Murali lost. As she struggled to find her feet, she realised how little support survivors of suicide get. This book is her story and that of several others whose needs and concerns often go unrecognised and unheard. She writes of the angst of the survivors and of the feelings of shame, loneliness and guilt that overwhelm them. Nandini’s experiences inspired her to set up an organisation for those grappling with suicide and for survivors of suicide loss. ‘Left Behind’ is about picking up the pieces and moving on.

They Made What? They Found What?

What makes genius brains tick? Why do scientists become scientists? Do they run out of the shower shouting ‘Eureka!’? Author of novels, short fiction, graphic novels, non-fiction and comic books, Shweta Taneja takes a dive into science and scientists this time, chronicling the weird and mindboggling discoveries and inventions by Indian scientists. Two books in one, ‘They Made What?’ ‘They Found What?’ releases on National Science Day today. So, there are stories of an ecologist who stumbled upon a rare species of frog, a physicist who revealed newer secrets of light, a scientist who insisted that plants could feel emotions… Packed with activities, the book aims to awaken the intrepid innovator in kids.

Hot Seat: Hard-won Lessons in Challenging Times

With a legacy that he himself describes as “controversial”, Jeff Immelt stepped down as General Motors’ CEO of 16 years in October 2017. What would he possibly have shared with people — his biggest achievements amid his biggest failures? The global financial crisis of 2008-09, the nuclear meltdown at GE-designed Fukushima nuclear reactors, the giant faced it all under him. However, pushed to set the record straight, he wrote ‘Hot Seat’, offering a rigorous and candid interrogation of himself and his tenure. Immelt explains how he pushed through even the most caustic criticism: by staying focused on his team and the goals they tried to achieve.

Sambhaji

Despite the fact that his father was always absent during his growing up years, Shivaji’s eldest son, Sambhaji, is his true heir. Following the sudden death of his father, he must now fight Mughal king Aurangzeb, while preserving the legacy of his father. Valourous and wise, he has the makings of a capable statesman. But there are dark forces at play in the palace. What price will Sambhaji pay for the throne and the homeland? Portrait of an often misunderstood braveheart, ‘Sambhaji’, written by Vishwas Patil, has sold more than 1,00,000 copies in Marathi and is now out in English. The book has been translated by Vikrant Pande, who has 10 works to his credit.