India, April 19 -- Author : Sukanya Rahman

Publisher : Speaking Tiger, Rs 499

An ode to three remarkable dancers, Sukanya Rahman's book, is an intergenerational memoir recounted with a frank authenticity which makes for a compelling read. An excerpt:

The Bajpai apartment at 209 Sullivan Place in Brooklyn became a gathering place for Indian emigres and their nationalist and political activities-a hotbed for the Independence Movement. Ragini was by now resigned to her husband sharing his roof and his purse with indigent political refugees from India. He was working full time for his political mentor, Lala Lajpat Rai, the nationalist leader and champion for Indian Home Rule. As councillor of the Indian Home Rule League, Bajpai had been th...