India, Sept. 6 -- Comprising 12 stories, The Last Free Naga paints a portrait of a people the remoteness of whose land is both a defence and a chosen way of life. In fresh, haunting prose, the author writes with a deep understanding of his culture. The stories range from those that describe the time when the Naga national movement was at its peak, to stories about the rhythms of rural life. In the title story, a young boy meditates on all that he will leave behind in his village once he goes to study in the relative safety of a neighbouring state. In Salt, a man confronts the brutality of the State. In Season of Cicadas, a walk home is interrupted by the Khangayei, a creature of myth and memory. Jim Wungramyao Kasom's stories contain a multitude of lives, each as fascinating as it is unforgettable. The Last Free Naga is a testament to the solitude, the resilient spirit, and the utterly distinctive identity of the Naga people....