Across the Mystic Shore (Macmillan New Writing) - Tapa dura

Suroopa Mukherjee is the author of several books for children and young people. She teaches English Literature at Delhi University and is the co-ordinator of a student group dedicated to creating youth awareness on issues related to environmental damage and corporate crime. Across The Mystic Shore is her debut novel for adults.

The boy arrived on a Sunday morning in the midst of a great deal of din and clamour. As the rickshaw skidded into the broadavenued lane in front of the Sengupta residence, something truly extraordinary happened. The arrival of the young boy in an upper middle class Bengali household triggers a gripping story of love, desire, and renunciation. Set in two different cities, New Delhi and Varanasi, "Across The Mystic Shore" explores the entwining lives of four women forced to confront their past decisions in order to understand their present delusions and insecurities. Questions arise throughout the story and family truths are unveiled. Central to the story is a dark and shocking secret that manifests itself and demands expiation from those entangled in it, having lurked in the past for twenty years. The narratives and memories of the four women enable the characters to grow over a period of twenty years, exploring the link between childhood and growing up and the theme of motherhood. Written with humour and compassion, "Across The Mystic Shore" is full of the sights, sounds, and scents of India and delivers both an exploration of conflicts peculiar to Indian society and a universal underlying message about the strength of love and how it can be both selfish and selfless.