THE HOUSE UNDER A NEEM TREE  (English, Paperback, Davella Pashupati)

Revisiting an era gone by, even if it was just a few decades ago, tells us of the sweeping changes that our country has witnessed during this period. How was it like growing up in one of the less developed parts of India, in a middle-class household during the seventies and the eighties? This was the period when things were scarce but hearts were large, opportunities were limited but dreams were big, economic inequality was less stark, but information asymmetry meant that one required that much extra effort to break through the glass ceilings and spread one’s wings. Nostalgic to those who lived in the era, and insightful to ones who are nebulous but keep hearing about it from the earlier generation, this book covers the life and times of nearly two generations of a typical Indian family, through a hundred episodic stories. From early growing-up days to entry into professional life, dreams and progression, travel, avocations and reflections on various aspects of social-cultural aspects, it is a subtle commentary on more than 4 decades of transition. The book is semi-autobiographical, but the reader can relate to it as if it were his or her growing up days.