Books like Water by Bapsi Sidhwa
Set against the rise of Mahatma Gandhi in 1938 colonial India, *Water* follows eight‑year‑old Chuyia after she is abandoned at a widow’s ashram following her husband’s death. The novel traces her struggle to endure the harsh rituals of exile while she becomes an unlikely catalyst for change. Through her interactions, particularly with Kalyani, a widow‑prostitute who falls in love with a young Gandhian idealist, Chuyia’s story critiques rigid Hindu traditions and explores themes of faith, love, and agency among widows in India.
First publish date: 2006
Genre: Historical Fiction/20th Century Historical Fiction
Authors: Bapsi Sidhwa
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