‘You Envy the Coutinhos’, by Michelle D’Costa
Michelle D’Costa’s debut novel chronicles the struggles of Joachim and his young family, who move to Bahrain from Mangalore (now Mangaluru) looking for a better life. Their hopes are, however, dashed as the family is ambushed by the challenges of finding their feet as migrants in a society and culture that are not only strikingly different, but also at times, difficult and unwelcoming.
Published by Westland, 184 pages, ₹499.
‘I Dared to Dial Differently: An Insider’s Account of the IAS’, by J.S. Deepak
Former civil servant J.S. Deepak revisits his four-decade-long career as an officer with the Indian Administrative Service in this memoir. He offers the reader a ringside view of some of the major projects he handled—from running India’s first 3G spectrum auction to executing an ambitious mid-day meal programme in Uttar Pradesh.
Published by Hachette India, 344 pages, ₹799.
‘In Sickness and in Death’, by Ipshita Nath
In her new book, historian Ipshita Nath explores the colonial experience of disease in India. While the British were aware of the tropical ailments that lurked all over the subcontinent, they were not able to predict the immense toll these maladies would take on their people. This encounter with a myriad of sicknesses not only influenced colonial policy but also dented their racial arrogance.
Published by HarperCollins India, 424 pages, ₹699.
‘Tower’ , by Bae Myung-hoon, translated by Sung Ryu
Poised between dystopian reality and absurdist fantasy, this novel by one of South Korea’s most popular sci-fi writers tests the limits of the reader’s imagination. Set in a 674-storey skyscraper as well as a sovereign nation called Beanstalk, the characters of this funny yet disconcerting tale must learn to deal with power in various forms and guises.
Published by Pan Macmillan, 256 pages, ₹399.
