White Dancing Elephants

by Chaya Bhuvaneswar

Kirkus Best Books of 2018

"Chaya Bhuvaneswar's debut collection maps with great assurance the intricate outer reaches of the human heart. What a bold, smart, exciting new voice, well worth listening to; what an elegant story collection to read and savor."
-Lauren Groff, author of Florida

"Stunning, evocative, electric...an exuberant collection."
-Kirkus Reviews (starred)

A woman grieves a miscarriage, haunted by the Buddha’s birth. An artist with schizophrenia tries to survive hatred and indifference in small-town India by turning to the beauty of sculpture and dance. Orphans in India get pulled into a strange “rescue” mission aimed at stripping their mysterious powers. A brief but intense affair between two women culminates in regret and betrayal. A boy seeks memories of his sister in the legend of a woman who weds death. And fragments of history, from child brickmakers to slaves in Renaissance Portugal, are held up in brief fictions, burnished, made dazzling and unforgettable.

In sixteen remarkable stories, Chaya Bhuvaneswar spotlights diverse women of color—cunning, bold, and resolute—facing sexual harassment and racial violence, and occasionally inflicting that violence on each other. Winner of the 2017 Dzanc Short Story Collection Prize, White Dancing Elephants marks the emergence of a new and original voice in fiction and explores feminist, queer, religious, and immigrant stories with precision, drama, and compassion.

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction, Feminism, India, LGBT, Literary Fiction, Audiobook

196 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 9, 2018

About the author

My debut short story collection, WHITE DANCING ELEPHANTS, out from Dzanc Books on Oct 9 2018 and available for pre-order now (including on all the indie bookstore websites via Core Source) presents stories of the #MeToo movement from the diverse perspectives of women of color and LBGTQ women. It also features willful androids, strange orphanages, 16th century Indian-Portuguese slaves who outwit their captors, and the Buddha's birth story. Some personal essays in support of the book have also started to come out in various places, like this one: https://themillions.com/2018/04/hot-a...


Thanks so much for considering any form of collaboration that might make sense for you. Below are some story links to Tin House and Narrative, as well as my author bio and photo.

xoxo

Chaya

links: http://www.narrativemagazine.com/issu...

http://tinhouse.com/on-eliot/

Bio:
Chaya Bhuvaneswar is a practicing physician and writer whose work has appeared or is forthcoming in Narrative Magazine, Tin House, Electric Lit, The Rumpus, The Millions, Joyland, Large Hearted Boy, Chattahoochee Review, Michigan Quarterly Review, The Awl, jellyfish review, aaduna and elsewhere, with poetry in Cutthroat, sidereal, Natural Bridge, apt magazine, Hobart, Ithaca Lit, Quiddity and elsewhere. Her poetry and prose juxtapose Hindu epics, other myths and histories, and the survival of sexual harassment and racialized sexual violence by diverse women of color. IN addition to the Dzanc Books Short Story Collection prize under which her debut collection WHITE DANCING ELEPHANTS will be released on Oct 9 2018, she recently received a MacDowell Colony Fellowship and a Henfield award for her writing. Her work received several Pushcart Prize anthology nominations this year as well as a Joy Harjo Poetry Contest prize. Follow her on Twitter at @chayab77 including for upcoming readings and events.

Reviews

[luce (cry bebè's back from hiatus) · Rating 1 out of 5]

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Readers who enjoy the works of Zadie Smith or Avni Doshi's Burnt Sugar may find White Dancing Elephants to have some merit. If you are thinking of reading this collection I recommend you read some of the more positives reviews as my one is alas a negative one. For those who liked or loved it, I hope you will not feel the need to leave comments on the lines of 'your opinion are invalid because I disagree with you'.

Anyhow, moving onto my actual review: this is, in my opinion, an execrable collection of short stories. These stories are poorly written, populated by boilerplate characters, deeply vitriolic and exceedingly vexing.
White Dancing Elephants follows the usual 'short stories collection' formula, so that we have a few stories experimenting, with not so great results, with perspective (of course, a story is told through a 2nd pov because that is what every other collection out there is doing so might as well follow their lead), a story about miscarriage (bursting with metaphors about 'brokeness'), a story about a character grappling with mental illness, and a story that earns this collection the LGBTQ+ badge (*ahem* not all queer representation is good representation). If you've read any collections of short stories published in the last 3 years, you have already read stories like these ones.

There was nothing subversive or unique about White Dancing Elephants. Attempts at 'edginess' came across as insensitive, for example, the author's treatment of mental health was, to use a trendy word, deeply problematic.
What irked me the most however was how unclear these stories were. The author seemed unable or unwilling to stick to a certain perspective, so that it would be unclear who was telling the story. And, these stories managed to be confusing, which is impressive given how short they were. This is probably due to the nebulous povs and the amount of info-dumping we would at the start of each story (informing us of a character's heritage, their parents backgrounds, their friends' genetic makeup or whatnot). Knowing who these characters were related to, most of the time at least, added absolutely nothing to each respective story as 'family' never seemed to be the plot's real focus. Instead, each story seemed set on being as impressionistic as possible, so that we have ripe metaphors are intent on being 'visceral' but seem like mere writing exercises, and a plethora of 'shock-value' scenes. Personally I was unimpressed by the author's language. We have oddly phrased things, such as
“it gave her flickers of amusement” (while I get that you can observe on someone's face a 'flicker of amusement' the 'gave her' in that sentence brings me pause), clichés such as “smiling the smile”, “smiling her gorgeous smile”, “my father a stranger until his death”, “ Nothing has changed since. Everything has changed.” (UGH! Give me a break). A lot of the stories start with very eye-grabbing statements, that tease some dramatic event that once explained or explored will feel deeply anticlimactic. Also, I could not help but be offended by the author's garish depictions of rape and its aftereffects. And don't even get me started on the role that same-sex attraction has in two of these stories. Puh-lease. There is a lot of women-hating-women, which can happen...but in nearly every story? (and WHY do we always have to get women making snidey remarks about other women's stomachs?). Last but not least, I did not appreciate that the one story where a black man actually plays some sort of role, ends up portraying him as a racist and a predator.
The author's prose (if we can call it such), the derogatory tone, the detestable and showy characters, the uninspired stories...they all did nothing for me.
To be perfectly frank the only thing that surprised about this collection was that it managed to get published in the first place.

Collections I can recommend that explore similar themes: Milk Blood Heat and Sarbina & Corina: Stories.

[Kiki · Rating 5 out of 5]

December 9, 2019: On a second read I bump the rating to five stars because this collection is amazing. I shared thoughts on writing outside one's identity and how ably Bhuvaneswar depicts and analyses interracial relationships of all kinds--romantic, platonic, professional, relationships that don't easily fit into any categories--on bookstagram.

4.5 ⭐ Full review:

It's frustrating when a book, for the time you spent with it, completely captured your mind, had you reading and re-reading, but when the moment comes to render this experience legible to others, muteness.

I can share what I loved most. The story settings are split between the USA and India. Most if not all of the Indian characters still retain a strong connection to their history and culture, whether they are 1st or 2nd generation migrants. That's true for those with connections to other countries as well. It helps to create a transnational space in which I travelled back and forth, visualising the lands crossed--I checked maps to help--or occupying an in-between in which a NYC borough or a central Indian city could never be read in isolation.

Because of this, maybe because of the deep impression the first and title story made, what stood out was the permeability of borders and boundaries real and imagined, desired and violently transgressed . These borders/boundaries are philosophical, political, national, racial, moral, of the physical, emotional and psychological, are the ultimate which is life, death and possible immortality. Stories can be shocking in their grounded realism--shocking because they follow stories in which the borders of our agreed reality prove insignificant and characters escape the page.

Many stories in this collection deal with marriage and children--losing them, wanting them, not wanting them, not being able to have them. How do characters respect the new boundaries marriage creates, how do their bodies' needs and desires influence that respect or lack thereof?

A single body is its own sovereign territory too and stories explore its vulnerability and strength. How the mind builds protective barriers; how memory and instinct move to help others.

There is so much more here. Myth and disaster, power and history, cruel pride, petty prejudice, complicated friendships and clumsy, effective sisterhood. I am still working through it in my mind. I haven't touched on a quarter of what this collection does. I remain amazed weeks later that this a debut. How? 🤣

My personal rating is that it defies rating. I don't think about these stories in terms of good/bad; I just want to know more and more about them. If you want a book that may take up a semi-permanent corner of your mind so that you can return to sift through it at leisure this is it.

*Gifted in return for an honest review.

[Lori · Rating 3 out of 5]

A dark, mood-altering read from which I felt compelled to take mutiple breaks between stories, just to regain my mental equilibrium. In this way, Chaya perhaps does too good a job depicting the struggles of her many characters, nearly all of whom are diverse women of color. From rape to miscarriage to race and identity, her stories are intensely focused on the relationship between mother, daughter, child, lover. Upon reflection of the collection as a whole (and I realize this says a lot more about me than it does about the book itself) in many instances, I recall the central characters as paper dolls in a diorama - dressed up and moved about the stage by an unseen hand rather than by their own initiative. There is no doubting Chaya's writing carries a heavy, almost unbearable weight to it. While many appear to have connected deeply with the collection, I found myself, midway through, checking my progress both mentally and by page-count, frequently assessing whether I wanted to continue through to the end.

[Rene Denfeld · Rating 5 out of 5]

The issues in these stories—exploitation, violence, abuse—are not the aberration in our world, but the norm for many, and I am thankful for how Bhuvanseswar approaches them. The women in these stories feel so real to me. The writing is gorgeous, the characters so human, the sense of magic palpable. Highly recommend.

[Lupita Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Remarkable collection of stories with an incredible range of themes. Very well written and definitely leaves you asking for more. Some stories will have you turning the page as if you are reading a thriller while others will never leave you. Definitely a collection to read!

[Amelia · Rating 5 out of 5]

WHITE DANCING ELEPHANTS is a searing and complex collection, wholly realized, each piece curled around its own beating heart. Tender and incisive, Chaya Bhuvaneswar is a surgeon on the page; unflinching in her aim, unwavering in her gaze, and absolutely devastating in her prose. This is an astonishing debut.

[Apoorv Moghe · Rating 3 out of 5]

White Dancing Elephants | Chaya Bhuvaneswar | 09Jan2021
-------------------------
Long story short...
Way too many stories shoved in to be told in a very unimaginative way without a common thread binding them together.

(Also, authors, please stop constantly showing India or Indians neither being extremely poor living in downtrodden conditions or devouts who either live their lives thinking only of God or are literally incarnations of God themselves. It's a country of 1.3 billion people and there are umpteenth stories outside mythology and poverty which the everyday human experiences there. You are not representing India accurately to the global audience and are just pandering to the Western market which gobbles this up (courtesy Slumdog Millionaire!)).
---------------------------
Published/Pages : 09Oct2018 | 208 pages
Location: London (England), Portugal | Flushing (New York), Boston (Massachusetts), Pittsburgh (Pennsylvania), New Haven (Connecticut) | India
Genre: Anthology, Short Stories, Realistic Fiction

Characters: Norika, Sylvia, Jagatishwaran, Milind, Jayanti, Micki, Heitor, Vinita, Asha, Seema, Sister Agnes, Michelle, Gopi
TW: abuse, rape, toxic masculinity, miscarriage, infidelity, violence
-------------------------------
Rating Analysis (Anthology)

White Dancing Elephants:
4/5 - Heart-rending

The Story of the Woman Who Fell In Love with Death :
2/5 - Half-assed

Talinda:
1/5 - Hokum

A Shaker Chair:
5/5 - Horrifying

Jagatishwaran:
2/5 - Half-baked

The Bang Bang:
2/5 - Haphazard

Orange Popsicles:
5/5 - Harrowing

Neela: Bhopal 1984:
2/5 - Humdrum

Chronicle of a Marriage, Foretold:
3/5 - Harmonizable

Heitor:
2/5 - Hodgepodge

Newberry:
2/5 - Hasty

Asha in Allston:
2/5 - Harum-scarum

The Life You Saved:
1/5 - Hammy

The Orphan Handler:
4/5 - High-quality

In Allegheny :
3/5 - Hollistic

The Goddess of Beauty Goes Bowling :
2/5 - Hackneyed

Adristakama:
3/5 - Haggard

TOTAL: 45/85 (5.3 Stars = 2.6 Stars ~ ★★★)
--------------------------------
Reaction Section

[Robby · Rating 5 out of 5]

The word I keep thinking of as I try to write about my experience reading this book is "awe." I read each story in awe of Bhuvaneswar's flexibility and skill, her wit and compassion for her characters. One of my favorites in the collection (though all are worth reading) is "Talinda," a story about friendship, secrecy, desire, and death, though these words do not even begin to describe where this story goes. In less than 25 pages, Bhuvaneswar covers the whole spectrum of emotion, writing into every moment, discomfort, refusing to turn away, even as her characters do. This refusal is what makes each story in this collection so enthralling, and their unpredictability, and their depth. This refusal is what makes each story so surprising; like life, they twist. Highly recommended!

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one is hard to rate because all the stories are so brutal, many deal with sexual assault or other violence, issues of race, family identity, and failing or failed relationships. I usually couldn't read more than one or two before putting the slim volume down to catch my breath. Bhuvaneswar writes well and each story is completely immersive, which makes this collection all the more powerful and upsetting. If you like reading stories which will sit heavy on your heart, definitely check this collection out.

[Kyra · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book, but ended up feeling pretty meh about it. The stories aren’t bad per se, and it’s obvious that Bhuvaneswar has talent, but her writing style didn’t connect with me…honestly, some of the stories were a slog to get through, and I ended up skimming several of them. I’d recommend reading “White Dancing Elephants,” “Talinda,” “A Shaker Chair,” “Orange Popsicles,” and “Newberry”; the rest are skippable, in my opinion.

[Marie-Therese · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Intense, frequently brutal but also touching and poetic stories. There's a bit too much repetition in theme here to balance the collection but overall this is very fine and Bhuvaneswar displays a strong, convincing voice. I look forward to reading more from her.

[Fran Blake · Rating 4 out of 5]

moving stories

[Bina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review posted originally on my blog WOCreads:
https://wocreads.wordpress.com/2018/1...


CW: Miscarriage, violence, rape, infidelity

White Dancing Elephants is Chaya Bhuvaneswar’s powerful debut collection of short stories, which won the 2017 Dzanc Short Story Collection Prize. Collecting 17 stories, this volume puts women of color, especially South Asian women in the diaspora, at the center.

These are stories about pivotal moments in women’s lives. These are stories about women in the diaspora, women in a colonialist, racist, classist, cis-hetero patriarchy. These are stories about what is done to women and the things women do to each other.

I really enjoyed all of the stories, but of course I have some favorites:

In “White Elephants Dancing,” the titular story, the I-narrator moves through London, reeling from a recent miscarriage and talks to her lost baby.

“Talinda,” is a story about infidelity, friendship and queer awakening.

“A Shaker Chair,” gives us a biracial character! It’s about a therapist and her patient and tension between Asian and Black communities.

In “Adristakama,” the narrator reflects on her move back to India, her marriage there and the what-might-have-been of her relationship with her ex-girlfriend Lauren.

Bhuvaneswar ‘s stories often focus on children and motherhood and they delve deep into painful topics (heed the content warnings!), but she does them justice and her writing is haunting and beautiful. I highly recommend it, especially for short story fans!

[Gail (The Knight Reader) · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a heavy, moving and deeply emotional read! I definitely underestimated it, being fooled by its "short stories" classification. But White Dancing Elephants is more than a book of short stories. It is the world as experienced by diverse people placed in all kinds of situations, some of which are quite difficult to get through and almost scarring to its reader. The stories had definite hard and grimy moments that caused me to shudder, but there was a fine line of hope and beauty present, which I appreciated.

Admittedly, this is not the book you read when you are tired. It demands focus or one may get lost or confused during the narration. Personally, I do not think I drew all the meaning the author intended me to appreciate from all of her stories, but it is the kind of book I look forward to rereading with a highlighter; just peeling it back to discover more layers. Truthfully, it is the kind of book you want to discuss at length with your friends if only to see what they discovered in their reading. Depending on the person and time in their life, I feel like this collection can evolve tremendously in meaning and interpretation.

I would like to thank Dzanc books and the author, Chaya Bhuvaneswar, for kindly providing me with an e-ARC for White Dancing Elephants in exchange for an honest review.

[Tucker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this in 2019 and 2020. My thoughts were previously on Drunken Pen Writing, which has gone offline, and are now on Medium.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some of these stories didn’t quite land, but the ones that did, they hit hard. I’ll have my eye on this writer.

[lauraღ · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the forest, no one can stop us from dreaming.

3.5 stars. Another semi-casualty of me reading books that I would normally like a lot, but just not at a time that's great for me? And I don't judge the book too harshly because of that, but it did affect my enjoyment. This is a collection of short stories about people (mostly women) in the Indian diaspora; mostly contemporary, but with a sprinkling of historical and paranormal. None of these are light and all of them are tough, tackling sexual assault, illness, child loss, family upheaval, and different types of trauma. A lot of them showcase women in various stages of academia, highlighting different experiences of being an Indian woman (and other women of colour) in that type of field. I really liked the writing style, especially when the author incorporated different stories and myths within it. A lot of the stories are very casually queer, and all of them in general talk insightfully about relationships and love and betrayal. I really would have enjoyed this a lot more if I was in the mood for it, because the writing really is commendable and the stories are original, but a lot of them just depressed me, haha. :/

Listened to the audiobook as read by Priya Ayyar; a pretty good performance. This is definitely an author I see myself picking up in the future.

Content warnings: violent rape, physical assault, child sexual abuse, incest, miscarriage, infertility, cancer and cancer related death, other terminal illnesses.

Oh, that you would only kiss me with the kisses of your mouth.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This proves that author interviews do influence my reading. She was an articulate and thoughtful interviewee on the podcast Between the Covers so I picked up her collection of 17 short stories that I hadn’t heard of before the interview. These are beautifully written (some better than others) although the content is dark and sometimes disturbing. I suggest the reader make time because although it’s short, it is not an easy or breezy read. Difficult stories about inequality including as experienced by women and by immigrants, betrayal by lovers and family members, loss including through each inoperable cancer diagnosis and miscarriage, religion and culture, sexuality and sexual identity, poverty and affluence. The emotions and struggles are evident in each story although some of the stories really don’t come together so well for plot and narrative.

[Carla Aviles · Rating 4 out of 5]

A stunning debut, WHITE DANCING ELEPHANTS contains seventeen stories of race, violence, immigration, affairs, and parenthood. Chaya Bhuvaneswar delivers emotionally wrought stories of people of color, including a mother dealing with a miscarriage, a fervent relationship between psychiatrist and patient that goes incredibly awry, and a heartbreaking account of abandonment and sibling disappearance.

Bhuvaneswar's stories are filled with tension and a unique perspective on humanity, particularly from the point of view of Indian men and women and people of color. Her writing highlights cultural distinctions both familiar and unfamiliar. The stories contain an essence of truth, showcasing seemingly real people with different backgrounds and faults yet tied together in their pursuit of something better for themselves. The collection's strengths lie in the potent way Bhuvaneswar discusses race and sexuality in the most human fashion as well as her diverse group of resolute, struggling women.

WHITE DANCING ELEPHANTS is a poignant debut collection that can be devoured in just a few days and shows great promise in Chaya Bhuvaneswar.

[Tanaya · Rating 4 out of 5]

A new literary voice that demand to be heard. This book was to be read slowly, with many breaks. It was a difficult read due to the realness. the honestly. miscarriage, violence, rape, infidelity - things that women carry with them every day of their lives, so often silently.

but written in a way that gives grounding and stability to the experiences. the first one shattered me and to be honest, i'm not sure if I felt the full impact of the rest of the book because of how hard it hit me. I am certain I will come back to this book again.

"There wasn't anything macabre in your passing - no rush of blood, no horrifying trickle down my legs. Just two clear stains, understated, as quiet and undemanding as your whole life had been; only enough blood for me to know. "

[Elliott Turner · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars! Really strong writing!

Chaya writes from the South Asian/Indian American identity and also has stores set in England - the ideas of fetishism in romantic love, the unique problems of same sex attraction for this community, and death/loss are all important themes.

The opening story is an amazing example of second person, and the last three stories are just fantastic writing.

[Jherane Patmore · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've had this book for about two years and it haunts me every few months for a re-read.

Each story came with multiple layers that weaves through my psychological, political, emotional, and moral boundaries and I enjoy everything it reveals about me through these characters and their circumstances.

[Anna DePalo · Rating 5 out of 5]

A bold debut by a not-to-be-missed author. This collection of short stories journeys through the intersections of race and gender to visit the gamut of human experience—from betrayal to violence to privilege—with a nuanced hand. Sometimes humorous and occasionally with a nod to pop culture, Chaya Bhuvaneswar’s lyrical prose rises to a crescendo of stunning insights. Pick this one up!

[Lissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5⭐️

[Mbhatia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Familiar with many the settings, I enjoyed the characters most of whom were desi immigrants from different walks of life. However I found these stories, ranging from mostly sad to very disturbing, incompatible with reading during COVID-19 isolation (unless one is a masochist, of course!)

[Ming]

DNF'd at page 76 and that has been 3 stories that don't connect emotionally. The tone is robotic. I'd read to 100 usually before DNFing. But there are too many books I'd rather pick now.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m so impressed by the range of stories in this collection. The author created whole little worlds in often only a few pages.

[Caleb Michael Sarvis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Will be reviewing the book in full on the Drunken Book Review Podcast.

[Lea Elizabeth Ludwig · Rating 3 out of 5]

I never read short stories so this was a nice change of pace. I found it easier to commit to 17 pages at a time than a whole book. The stories were female centered and very personal. A good read.

[David Harris · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a collection of seventeen excellent, eye opening stories, written with a sharp understanding of characters' background, motivation and self image (perhaps the author being a doctor helped here?)

These stories often revolve around loss, abuse and identity and the range of stories in the volume means these themes are visited from different directions and through different eyes. There are missing parents, siblings, lost children and abuse as well as missed (or simply, not taken) turns in life - but also friendships and hope. Cultural identities clash, both between and within protagonists, and these characters and their worlds are often caught in the long shadow of colonialism.

The titular story, White Dancing Elephants, heaves with loss, written almost as a love letter by a woman to - well, you'll have to read it to find out who. On a visit to London and then Oxford she turns over what is gone, what might be to come and how things might have been different. It's so poignant but also strong, hopeful. (I live near Oxford and on a personal note appreciated a glimpse here not of the honeyed stones and dreaming spires but of the bustle of the Cowley Road.)

The Story of the Woman Who fell in Love with Death tells of a boy and his missing sister. She's an absence that mustn't be mentioned, a gap he questions and mourns as he grows up. Bhuvaneswar skilfully makes this woman who never appears in the story as much of a filled out character as anyone who does. Again there is a sharp sense of loss here, and a mystery that's never (I think) completely cleared up.

Kalinda, in Talinda is "not long for this world". While she slowly dies of stomach cancer, a little tragedy plays out with her friend Narika and husband George. Again the theme of children, of childlessness and - child fulness??? - plays out. This is a sad story, the countdowns of death and birth overlapping and Bhuvaneswar convoys a chilling, even wicked sense of stolen lives, of alternatives lost, her characters waiting for what will happen.

Some of the stories in this book are very painful, though it isn't always clear at first. A Shaker Chair is one of those. It documents the relationship between a psychotherapist and her client, delicately tracing the web of alliances and prejudices in Boston between those of African and of Asian heritage, the tension made pointed as Sylvia, the therapist has a father with a Ugandan African background, bringing with him a certain outlook and issues. ("Like most Indians Sylvia had ever known - actually like most Asians in general - this girl Maya... was conscientious, consistent... Paying for each psychoanalysis session... with bedraggled wads of cash that looked like the contents of the cash register at some filthy curry restaurant.") The relationship that unfolds between the two women is painful, tender, delicate as they negotiate their way through unspoken truths - but it ends in catastrophe, perhaps one that Sylvia always felt coming?

Jagatishwaran is a story, perhaps of a lost brother... but Jagatishwaran has not gone but stayed, after some illness or episode in his earlier life he's becomes settled at home, stuck, perhaps suffering from something but still observant of the currents and tensions in his Bombay [sic] home. Unlike many of the characters in this book he hasn't got out to get on but in not doing so he creates a kind of statement. Well observed, well paced, this story charts Jagatishwaran's life in exquisite detail.

The Bang Bang is the name of the New York bar where immigrant chauffeur Millind wanders into a poetry slam and changes his life for ever. Told from his daughter's point of view - a daughter who loses her brother and mother and almost fades out of existence herself as her father unexpectedly takes the spotlight - this is a novel in miniature, a probing, haunting account of cultures and lives and ultimately of hope.

Orange Popsicles is a story whose content will be clear pretty much from the first page. It is about a woman, Jayanti, who has been raped on her university campus. The story tells us what went before and what happens after. It's, perhaps, a starkly relevant story not only because of the present climate but - as I read it - in timing, I'm writing this review as the US Senate votes on filling their Supreme Court vacancy.

Bhuvaneswar spares nothing here as she shows how the situation was set up, how is preyed on, blames herself, and what she manages to collect together of herself afterwards. I fine story but one I'm sure some readers will find very hard to bear.

Neela: Bhopal is also hard to bear, for different reasons. It's another where the reader will think they know from the start pretty much what's going to happen, but Bhuvaneswar manages, if anything, to make this tragedy of four siblings even more haunting than you'd expect.

Chronicle of a Marriage, Foretold is the story I enjoyed most in this collection. It's about Mikki, a young woman taking part in a retreat for "indigenous or Third World woman writers". The retreat takes place in what seems like most uncomfortable surroundings, a series of caves on a remote island. (Men used to attend as well, but have been excluded ("in the early years, some men were caught lurking at the entrances of certain women's caves, or following especially lovely women home...") Despite the uncomfortable sounding surroundings, it gives Mikki an opportunity to reflect on her life, partly through the medium of an imagined (or is he?) - what? Lover? Interviewer? - with whom she gradually builds a relationship. This person, Harry, may or may not have played many roles in her life. Mikki compares and contrasts him to her husband, reflects on their lack of children - and moves into a future. Treading a line between romance and horror, this is one of the strangest stories in the book.

Heitor is also unusual in the collection in being historical rather than set in the present day. In 1545, Indian slave Heitor awaits punishment at the Portuguese convent where he serves. We gradually learn how he was trafficked there, and why he's to be punished. I don't want to say much about what takes place but it does seem to me to be an absolute affirmation of love and hope in the face of terror and oppression. A fine story.

Newberry is the story of a disregarded, undervalued person - Vinita, who works in a hairdressing salon to pay for her fathers' nursing care - and of how she uses where she is and what she can get to make a life for herself and to safeguard her family. It's a clever story and one with a real sense of tension.

Asha in Allston reminded me of an episode of Black Mirror. A story with science fictional overtones, it features an enthusiastic engineer who's created, it seems, a perfect substitute for his wife ("you have her download stored somewhere permanent"). Bhuvaneswar gives us the wife's perspective on this situation, and her eventual response.

The Life You Save Isn't Your Own is about a moment in the life of Seema Venkatramanan who has made "all the wrong choices" leaving her childless ("On top of that, Anand was sterile") and in a job she doesn't really enjoy ("Seema has sold out and gone into managed healthcare"). Coincidence means she visited the Uffizi in Florence a few weeks before a bombing and fire that took the life of a child. Could she, Seema asks herself, have made any difference had she been there when it happened?

The Orphan Handler is a really, really creepy story, again on the cusp of being horror, with aspects of child trafficking, magic and abuse. I found it a deeply ambiguous story, both as to what really happens and what one is to make of the situation. Very though-provoking.

In Allegheny is told from the point of view of Michelle, a doctor, and opens as she attends a festival by invitation of "a neighbour" at the local Hindu temple. As Michelle intervenes in a medical emergency, she has an opportunity to reflect on her relationship with John, who has been in India and considers he understands that culture. I found it a very moving and touching story.

I, personally, found The Goddess of Beauty Goes Bowling a very hard read. It's a clever story, exploring several different themes: as in much of this book, the contrast between East and West, arrival and acclimatisation (not assimilation), the place, or absence, of a child in the family and also the behaviour of men and women. Lakshmi and Gopi are parents of two children, son Romesh who has been sent away to school and daughter Shree who has learning disabilities. I found it hard to distance myself from this situation as I have an adult daughter with learning disabilities. It can be a very hard situation and I found it impossible not to judge Gopi for his failure to grasp the situation: he comes over as petulant, selfish and lacking empathy. I think Bhuvaneswar is actually being more nuanced and saying something about the whole situation, about the other family members and about Shree herself. It's a vivid story well worth pondering and one that left me very uneasy.

Adristakama, the final story in this volume, is about Lauren and narrator Nisha, two young women who have been lovers. Nisha broke off their relationship and returned to India to marry. Another story full of might-have-beens, or possibilities unrealised and maybe yet to come, this is a bitter, moody little piece to end the collection on, yet not without hope. An enjoyable story.