First published 2020
This collection from the Aleph Olio series brings together stories and essays that examine mortality across different landscapes and circumstances. Amitav Ghosh recounts the assassination of Indira Gandhi and what followed. Ruskin Bond recalls his father's funeral. Amitava Kumar writes about finding comfort during grief. Mahasweta Devi presents murder and revenge in rural India. Atul Gawande explores assisted suicide and what doctors fear most when confronting patient mortality. Munshi Premchand contributes "The Shroud," a story about family hypocrisy and false grief after a death. Khushwant Singh offers a moving essay about his grandmother's passing. George Orwell examines why innocent blood gets spilled. David Davidar captures family upheaval after a patriarch dies. Kolakaluri Enoch tells of a young girl's tragic death. The anthology presents Indian life and universal human experience through the lens of our shared mortality.
Genres: essays, death, non-fiction
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family
Setting: India, Rural India
Period: 20th-Century, 21st-Century
132 pages · Hardcover · Aleph
Content warnings: death