India, Feb. 29 -- Another book on singlehood? It seems to be the season for books on the joys and freedom of being single. But Demystifying and Dignifying Singlehood: Life Journeys of Single Women Across the Globe by Uma Jain is different. The book does not glorify or glamourise the lives of single women in any way. These are real stories - with the good, the bad and the ugly, all there.

The book tells the stories of 15 single women across the world. A feeling of deep understanding and empathy fills you as you read the book and understand the challenges faced by the women who are single - by choice or chance. Some of the women chose to be single because they faced discrimination and even abuse as girl children. Some others had abusive ma...