Wanderers, All  (English, Paperback, Acharekar Janhavi)

Wanderers, All, by Janhavi Achrekar, is an experimental novel that blends the elements of historical fiction, memoir, and travelogue. It depicts the story of Murlidhar Khedekar, an actor-turned-police-officer whose life is deeply affected by the birth of a new nation.

Summary of the Book

Set against the background of colonial rule and the foundational years of the Indian police, this book traces the tale of an aspiring actor whose failure to acquire a role in the flourishing Marathi theater scene of the early 1900s leads to a job in the Bombay city police department. Also, his great-granddaughter traces her own kindred through modern Goa and the Konkan regions. The book alternates between the past and the present and blends migration with travel. It delves into themes of divided loyalty, belonging, ownership, borders between humans and nations, and the colonizer and the colonized.

About Janhavi Achrekar

Janhavi Achrekar is a freelance writer. She has also worked as a journalist, wine-seller, art researcher and curator of literary festivals and advertising copywriter. She has authored Window Seat: Rush hour stories from the city, which is an anthology of short stories. Achrekar has also compiled Moon Mumbai & Goa, the first Indian destination guide in the American travel book series, Moon Handbooks.