Ammamma

A girl trapped by the colour of her skin. A politician desperate to regain power. A family ripped apart. 16-year-old Pullamma, with her dark skin, has resigned herself to a limited future in her remote South Indian village. For this reason, she’s obliged her old-fashioned grandmother by not doing well in school. She’s also resigned to remaining unwed. For with three girls in the family, there’s simply not enough dowry to go around. Soon a wedding alliance arrives for her oldest sister—a fair-skinned beauty. There’s great rejoicing in their household. And why not? The prospective father-in-law is the right-hand man of an important politician. As Pullamma helps ready the house for the bride-viewing that precedes any arranged marriage—by washing the cow, by stringing flowers along doorways—she prays for the alliance to go through. Then something happens. Something so inconceivable, it will shape Pullamma’s future in ways she couldn’t have unimagined. Tell A Thousand Lies is a realistic exploration of how superstition and the colour of one’s skin can dictate life in rural India. Skilfully weaving themes of magical realism, political corruption, female empowerment, and fate, Rasana Atreya presents a narrative that is sometimes sassy, sometimes sombre, but ultimately unforgettable. This tale will captivate your heart and linger long after the final page is turned. (Please note: colour, skilfully and sombre are British/Indian spellings). ◆ Shortlisted for the Tibor Jones South Asia Prize (UK, 2012). ◆ Tell A Thousand Lies is one of our five favourite tales from India. Glam Magazine, UK (June 2014) ◆ Spellings used in this book are British/Indian. ◆ All books in this series may be read independently.

Over the course of a single transformative summer, an American teenager travels to southern India to visit her relatives and gains new insight into her past, her family and her heritage. Born in Kerala, Maya spent the first four years of her life there, cared for mainly by her grandmother, Ammamma, until she was sent to live with her parents in New York. At 15, with her parents' marriage undergoing a rough patch, she is sent back to India to stay with her Aunt Reema and Uncle Sanjay, their 10-year-old daughter, Brindha, and Ammamma at their house in the tea hills above Coimbatore. It's been years since Maya came to visit, and this time she is keenly aware of cultural differences: the different spheres of men and women and the persistence of the caste system. She feels stifled by the attentions of Ammamma and resentful of the time she must spend with the old woman. When Maya suffers an accident while most of the family is away, she and Ammamma grow closer, and Maya learns a hidden family fact. But only when Ammamma falls ill and the entire family gathers, including Maya's parents from New York, does Maya begin to comprehend more deeply the complexities of relationships.

"Life is filled with challenging situations. We must face them – as children and as adults. Learning the skills to cope with the hard things in life is a rich, learning experience. Climbing Rainbows, a collection of six stories, celebrates these brave moments of struggle for children. Sudha is shocked to hear of her beloved grandmother’s sudden demise. Why do people have to die? Where does death lead us? Little Keshav does not want to be uprooted from his school and move to a new city. He cannot imagine another life, other friends. Maya and Dev come to terms in their sibling rivalry by looking at things differently. Young Ashwin is torn trying to understand that his parents love him, but that grown-ups too, need their own space. Harsha, a chubby chunk of lard, fights a seemingly hopeless battle against obesity. Joshua, boldly faces the ravages of war to pursue his dream. Here are six champions who are tested to prove their emotional resilience. Through their difficult journeys they learn to focus on what they can control. They learn to embrace the challenges they face, not run from them. They experience difficult times and obstacles and come out strong and self-confident."

‘Purple Moor!’ The art teacher’s livid voice resonates. Rushali watches her mother cringe, called into the principal's office again; but thankfully, her father, Dev Pillay chooses to see her painting as eclectic and a reflection of the caring person she is. When Rushali is just seventeen, her father, the one person who understood her, suddenly passes away. Now Rushali must find her path from the chaos of nonconformity she built for herself. A semblance of calm pervades in her relationship with her mother until Mohan arrives on the scene. At forty-seven, the shackles are unbearable, judged repeatedly in parameters that do not fit her persona. Then, so unexpectedly, Rushali is free! But is this the freedom she sought? What tryst of fate made her paint the moor purple? Do such moors exist?

Otherworldly but remarkably familiar, ancestral but firmly rooted in alternate futures, these twelve innovative stories—winners of the Imagine 2200 climate fiction contest organized by Grist—offer a glimpse of a future built on sustainability, inclusivity, and justice. A beekeeper finds purpose and new love after collaborating on a bee-based warning system for floods. An Indian family preserves its traditions through food, dance, and the latest communication fads. After an oceanic rapture, a lone survivor adapts to living in a tree on a small island with a vulture he befriends. Flickers of hope, even joy, illuminate these alternate realities. Curated by Grist, the leading media organization dedicated to foregrounding stories of climate change, Metamorphosis is a visionary and speculative collection. Immersive, thought-provoking, and often surprising, these stories serve as a springboard for exploring how fiction can help us envision a tomorrow in which we flourish and thrive.

I grew up in a large family system interacting with seven siblings. My parents lived in a large house in Rajahmundry and most of my memories are drawn from my early life in this house. I was dark compared to my other siblings and that is the beginning of divide by my close elations and cousins and so on. All the incidents are either witnessed by me or told to me by my parents and grandparents and have recorded most of the good things and events. Some of the readers may find similarities with their experience and may like to read the small biographical sketch.

Imagine a world where there was no internet, no mobile phones, tablets or any of the hi-fi gadgets that kids today are used to. Telephones (Landline), Transistors/Tape Recorders were the most high end gadgets of those times and were considered luxury items, found in only certain homes of middle class India. So how did children spend their time especially their holidays? Most holidays were mostly spent travelling (by train or bus) to meet relatives/friends or hosting them. This book takes the reader on an enjoyable trip down the memory lane to the 1970’s and attempts to recreate the memorable summer holiday of a little girl with her family. Growing up in a cosmopolitan city (Madras), Anju visits her home town (Trivandrum) during her summer holidays, which leaves an everlasting impact on her innocent mind forever. It turns out to be a remarkable vacation of new experiences, little adventures and lovely discoveries for Anju through her cousins, family members and friends. She experiences a new way of life amidst nature’s bounty that becomes an unforgettable part of her growing up, creating lifetime bonds.

Kannan is on a poignant journey back in time through the narrow lanes of life he has walked through seven decades. The journey, though not sequential traverses through the necessary stops which had its soft corners and milestones. As he journeys through time and memories, Kannan revisits moments from his childhood to his grandson’s birth as he reflects on the instances when either love or fate embraced him, sending him in a new direction. In recollections that include precious time spent with his beloved son, sister, and many others, Kannan’s heart blooms with happiness as his life comes full circle and he realizes the power behind a simple hug. All You Need is a Hug is a collection of excerpts from one man’s experiences as he travels back into his past and invites his memories to wash over him and reveal the true meaning of love and life.

It Is The Second World War And Kamala And Her Brother Are Removed From Their Parents Home In Calcutta To The Safer Environs Of Their Village In Northern Kerala. At Once An Outsider And An Integral Part Of Her Ancestral Home, Kamala Struggles To Fathom The Intricacies Of Class, Caste And Language. But Surrounded By People Like Her Adoring Ammamma, The Servant Sankaran Who Promises To Teach Her The Crow-Language, And Valli Who Tells Her Stories Of Yakshis Whose Breasts Are As Big As Jackfruits, Kamala Soon Discovers The Joys Of Growing Up As The Centre Of Everyone S Universe. As Calcutta Fades From Her Mind Like An Old Dream, While The Thudding Of The Drums At The Para Festival, The Roar Of The Velichappadu As He Becomes Possessed And The Songs Of The Parayankaali Dancers Become Absolute Realities Of Life.