Dhobi Girl  (English, Paperback, Radha Venuprasad)

Anuja, the dhobi girl, is the central character. Her life intertwines with that of Ratna, her childhood friend. Starting from a colony of labourers, Anuja and Ratna make it good in life, both becoming reputed doctors in different fields. Developments in Ratna’s life have far-reaching consequences on that of Anuja, though she has chosen to tread a path of her own. The kaleidoscope of life draws many people into the ambit of the lives of Anuja and Ratna. Chief among them are Anuja’s professor, Ratna’s wife Devi, Jay, the young woman he tumbles into love with, and the children he has through them both. And all through their lives runs the evil presence of Nathaniel. Divided into three parts, this book tells the story from the perspectives of Anuja, Ratna and Devi. The author takes us from the struggle for life in the labour colony to the professional successes in Chennai, from the peace of an Edinburgh hideaway to the deathly cold of the Swiss Alps, from the mystical piety of the banks of the Ganga to the tension-filled operation theatre. There’s murder, there’s rape, there’s sacrifice, there’s scheming, there’s forgiveness, and above all, there’s love. The details dovetail to make a comprehensive, comprehensible plot of the joys and sorrows of life, of despair, resilience and resurgence.