Clifton Bridge
Author: Irshad Abdul Kadir
Publisher: HarperCollins, Rs250
A mujahideen’s love child with his Christian lover is being brought up by a Hindu vegetable vendor. A globetrotting professor and a mushaira-loving Urdu editor cope with cultural and ideological barriers in a tale of star-crossed lovers. The first and second wives of a businessman hatch a diabolic plot to prevent their husband from taking a new wife. In Irshad Kadir’s debut collection of stories, these and other tales, set in modern Pakistan, represent the diversified social cluster of the country.
The Soldier and the State in India
Author: Ayesha Ray
Publisher: Sage, Rs595
The book offers a theoretical perspective for examining some of the most critical issues that have emerged in Indian civil-military relations. It examines issues pertaining to military expertise that emerged whenever there was a contestation in civil-military functions, thereby allowing the military greater influence in policy-making. It also focuses on the role of the Indian military in counterinsurgency operations and the impact of Indian nuclear strategy on the relationship between civilians and the military in India.
Vanished
Author: Sheela Chari
Publisher: Puffin, Rs250
Eleven-year-old Neela dreams of being a famous musician, performing for admiring crowds on her traditional Indian stringed instrument. Her particular instrument was a gift from her grandmother. When this special family heirloom vanishes from a local church, strange clues surface: A tea kettle ornamented with a familiar pointy-faced dragon, a threatening note, a connection to a famous dead musician, and even a legendary curse. The clues point all the way to India, where it seems that Neela’s instrument has a long history of vanishing and reappearing. Even if Neela does track it down, will she be able to stop it from disappearing againIJ