Chronicle of a Corpse Bearer  (English, Paperback, Mistry Cyrus)

Chronicle of a Corpse Bearer, by Cyrus Mistry, is a poignant love story set in pre-independence Bombay. It offers a vibrant portrayal of the enigmatic city in the late colonial age and sheds a new light on the Parsi community and their cultural life.

Summary of the Book

Chronicle of a Corpse Bearer is a novel derived from a true story. When the whole community of the corpse bearers is eschewed and isolated from society, Phiroze Elchidana, son of a highly respected Parsi priest, falls in love with Sepideh, daughter of an old corpse bearer. Corpse bearers, pretty much an invisible community in Bombay, are those whose job is to carry dead bodies to the Towers of Silence. This book is an intense tale of tragic love, which also delicately brings out the subtle tinges of the humiliation experienced by the corpse bearers and the ever-rampant existence of untouchability.

About Cyrus Mistry

Cyrus Mistry is an Indian playwright and author. This title won him the 2014 DSC Prize for South Asian Literature. He has also written The Radiance of Ashes. He is the brother of Rohinton Mistry, a best-selling Indian writer.