Simsim  (Paperback, Geet Chaturvedi)

Old Basarmal Jetharam Purswani remembers his love and homeland that he lost in Sindh, Pakistan during the Partition. To get them back, he committed the most dangerous adventure of his life. One day, a wandering dervish prophesied, “Son, what you’ve lost, you’ll find again in books.” He opens a library in Mumbai and starts seeking his past. Would he succeed? The Mumbai land mafia is after Basar Mal and his library. A young graduate befriends him and gets into an imaginary relationship with a girl at a yellow window. A chatty book cover relates the plight of books. A silent Mangan’s ma washes and feeds a plastic doll she thinks is her son. Poignantly written by Geet Chaturvedi who is one of the finest contemopary Hindi writers. ‘Simsim’ is a memorable journey between memory, imagination and reality. Its English translation has won the prestigious ‘PEN/Heim Translation Grant’, awarded by the PEN America.