Editor’s note
Although I have never met them, I know several of the contributors to this volume, mostly through the online Facebook group For Writers, By Authors. I was a beta reader of Radhika Maira Tabrez’s short story in this volume, Built From the Ashes. Anirban Nanda has beta read for me. When Rhiti Bose approached me about providing a free review copy of this book, I agreed because I could not buy the ebook on Amazon.com and wanted to read Radhika and Anirban’s stories. As a rule, I do not accept free review copies. I prefer to buy the books I review because it supports the author. But, I made an exception for this volume. Whether my review is colored by bias is for you to decide.
About the book
Defiant Dreams: Tales of Everyday Divas is a short story collection from Incredible Women of India, an online magazine that features life stories of everyday women. In 2015, Incredible Women conducted a short story contest called Stree. The contest had more than 100 entries from across India and beyond. 24 authors were chosen to contribute to Defiant Dreams.
Defiant Dreams was published through Readomania, India’s literary social network. Readomania has four divisions designed to encourage reading and writing: traditional print publishing, literary events, literary products, and its most visible division: Readomania.com. The website includes a portal for publishing short stories, author interviews, and contests.
The book is available on Amazon India, Flipkart, and at local bookstores throughout India.
The good
The stories are emotionally powerful. The writers connect well with the reader. The first few stories in particular ripped my heart out of my chest. But, for me, that emotional toll is a hard one to pay. I considered giving up, but then Sutapa Basu’s story relieved some of that pain. After that, the tone of the volume softened a bit, and I was able to enjoy the remaining stories.
The breadth and depth of women’s experience is well represented here. Like the writers, the women in these stories span India’s geographic and social spectrum. Urban, rural. Young, old. Rich, poor. Single, married, divorced, and widowed. While the media focuses attention on India’s rape crisis, this collection allows readers to see and understand that the challenges faced by modern Indian women are far more varied and complex. Adultery, cancer, terrorism, addiction, widowhood, and adoption are just a few of the many issues raised in the stories. The women in these stories empower themselves in all walks of life. An ironing woman, fashion designer, housewife, and student all find a home in this collection.
I enjoyed that the writers didn’t place blame on the government or with men. They sought to understand the cause of women’s issues, and to see women lift themselves out of their situations. But, in doing so, the protagonists don’t trample on men to succeed. This volume is a study in equality for all. In a few stories, men were a critical part of the solution. In a country striving to move forward to improve the lives of women, it’s critical that men are part of the solutions. In this volume, they often are.
The target audience for this volume is Indian readers. But, as one of the editors, Lopa Banerjee, lives in the US, discussion of possible reception by foreign readers is appropriate. I don’t like it when authors are forced to change the story to suit foreign readers. I strongly believe that if we want to encourage readers to explore diverse stories, we must appreciate and respect the storytelling tradition in which the stories are written. And that means leaving some words in the original language rather than searching for an inappropriate English term. But, it’s a delicate balance. The editors did well including notes for non-English terms. Unfortunately, while reading, I didn’t know there were definitions at the end of the story. Footnotes might have worked better. In an ebook, linked definitions would be ideal.
The bad
The collection has two editors, Rhiti Bose and Lopamudra Banerjee. They have designed a great collection. The stories tell two narratives: one within the story and one within the book. But, while the collected stories are well chosen, at times, I could see two editorial hands at work. The difference is only occasionally visible, but visible nonetheless.
A volume about women’s empowerment will have its fair share of strong female characters. I was relieved when a few stories featured women who were vulnerable or villains. Such characters provided a good balance to the tendency to equate empowerment with strength. But, I did often feel like the endings were too happy. I tend to write happy endings myself, but even I felt that some were forced and cliched. Indian audiences love happy endings, and in a volume on empowerment, it makes sense that the women become empowered. But, with power comes a dark side: the abuse of power. I would have liked to see that explored a bit as well. Moreover, more stories with morally ambiguous outcomes would have added a nice shift of tone.
While these stories took on sensitive topics like rape and prostitution, I often felt let down by the euphemisms employed. Sex is an uncomfortable topic in Indian culture, so even including a story where one character is gang raped as an act of war is a brave decision by the editors. It’s important that the act not be sexualized, but the way it was glossed felt too light a touch. Bringing such acts into the light is one of the ways in which they can be conquered.
The verdict
Defiant Dreams from @IamReadomania @Incredblwmnofin is a strong collection about Indian women’s challenges.
The stories
As part of my review, I reviewed the individual stories on Twitter. Following the structure of my long-form reviews, I included one reply tweet for good, bad, and verdict feedback. If you are interested in learning more about the individual stories, you can follow the individual tweets.
Built from the Ashes by Radhika Maira Tabrez
Not all homecomings are happy. Can a relationship in ruins be built from the ashes? #defiantdreams https://t.co/kkqd2GkVwD
— Jean Spraker (@Magnolia2Mumbai) February 24, 2016
It’s Not the End by Kirthi Jayakumar
#Review: 2 people marry; 1 falls in love with someone else. Is it the end? https://t.co/7e2OPXVL5H
— Jean Burke-Spraker (@jburkespraker) February 24, 2016
She Chose to Live by Debosmita Nandy
#Review: “A woman without her man is nothing.” Is it possible for a woman to live without a man & be happy? https://t.co/KRLILlm6fo
— Jean Spraker (@Magnolia2Mumbai) February 25, 2016
Bidisha by Paulami DuttaGupta
#Review: Some wounds run deep. Can a train ride heal Bidisha’s scars? @Incredblwmnofin @IamReadomania @ShillongGal https://t.co/n09mRVUMyz
— Jean Spraker (@Magnolia2Mumbai) February 25, 2016
The Drug Addict by Santosh Bakaya
#Review: Death plunges a young woman off a drug-littered cliff. Can she find release before the fall kills her? https://t.co/DFYnYXHOjp
— Jean Spraker (@Magnolia2Mumbai) February 26, 2016
A Safe Passage by Sanghamitra Bose
#Review: Torn from her family during Partition, Simran must search for a safe passage once more. https://t.co/Y8DpgphghT
— Jean Spraker (@Magnolia2Mumbai) February 26, 2016
The Bride by Esha Chakraborty
#Review: A college romance, a magnificent wedding. Will the Bride get her happy ending? https://t.co/U4HPoIb217
— Jean Spraker (@Magnolia2Mumbai) February 27, 2016
Memories in March by Sutapa Basu
#Review Memories in March dances across the page. Two competing narratives mixed with regret, hope. https://t.co/5Nt6rX1hBb
— Jean Spraker (@Magnolia2Mumbai) February 27, 2016
Unfound: Searching for Home by Vasudha Chandna Gulati
#Review: One woman's search to find her place within her family. https://t.co/LJjxAVHprz
— Jean Burke-Spraker (@jburkespraker) February 28, 2016
The Journey of Two Women by Deepti Menon
#Review: In matriarchal Kerala, a story of 2 women whose lives are intertwined. https://t.co/gyG16rOk7O
— Jean Burke-Spraker (@jburkespraker) February 28, 2016
A Second Chance by Arpita Banerjee
#Review: A talk show host asks the question on everyone's lips. Rukmini's response: a tale of betrayal, forgiveness. https://t.co/KslYhOvP0J
— Jean Burke-Spraker (@jburkespraker) February 29, 2016
Dharmambal by Bhuvaneswari Shivakumar Shankar
#Review: When a father pens his life story, will his daughter learn the lesson he has to teach her? https://t.co/79lEBjybLk
— Jean Burke-Spraker (@jburkespraker) March 1, 2016
The 40s by Ramaa Sonti
#Review: An older woman, a younger man. You think you know how this story goes, don't you? Read to find out. https://t.co/KXWpCoTbot
— Jean Burke-Spraker (@jburkespraker) March 1, 2016
Amlanation by Anirban Nanda
#Review: When a spurned suitor throws acid, the damage destroys three young lives. https://t.co/RFT2NVm244
— Jean Burke-Spraker (@jburkespraker) March 2, 2016
Please Leave Your Sex Outside by Aashisha Chakraborty
#Review: Pia encounters a feminist with a shocking approach. Will it work? https://t.co/rA90u2ID6G
— Jean Burke-Spraker (@jburkespraker) March 7, 2016
Tara by Geeta Negi
#Review: Tara lives a typical village life until the day a letter arrives and changes everything. https://t.co/5xMAdGqURT
— Jean Burke-Spraker (@jburkespraker) March 8, 2016
Anjali Chakraborty by Tanushree Ghosh Dhall
#Review: Anjali is a single woman whose status has little value to her family. Her death shows what real values are. https://t.co/QbG5G36NTn
— Jean Spraker (@Magnolia2Mumbai) March 10, 2016
Yamuna Maa’s Hand by Mahesh Sowani
#Review: Yamuna receives the gift of kindness and returns it many times over. https://t.co/GMUWw0Vhze
— Jean Spraker (@Magnolia2Mumbai) March 12, 2016
Once, For a Change by Moinak Dutta
#Review: Once, For a Change. Is a young fashion designer’s big break real? @Incredblwmnofin @IamReadomania
— Jean Spraker (@Magnolia2Mumbai) March 20, 2016
Pregnant Dreams by Sridevi Datta
#Review Pregnant Dreams. The story of an ironing woman and a special sari. @Incredblwmnofin @IamReadomania
— Jean Spraker (@Magnolia2Mumbai) March 20, 2016
Second Innings of Ma by Namrata Chauhan
#Review: The prodigal son returns home. Will his maa welcome him with open arms and heart? https://t.co/B4isRKQWKu
— Jean Spraker (@Magnolia2Mumbai) March 23, 2016
Here I Come Banaras by Avanti Sopory
#Review: Does a woman’s life end when her husband dies? https://t.co/iTSE1uCoBv
— Jean Spraker (@Magnolia2Mumbai) March 23, 2016
To Be or Not To Be by Paromita Mukherjee Ojha
#Review: Are a sister’s sudden appearance and the disappearance of a PAN card somehow tied together? https://t.co/17HIppgbr1
— Jean Spraker (@Magnolia2Mumbai) March 24, 2016
Some Porridge and an Eduction by Sreesha Divakaran
#Review: Can one woman’s difficult ensure an easier life for her son? https://t.co/2RMepzENk0
— Jean Spraker (@Magnolia2Mumbai) March 24, 2016
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