Abandon

by Sangeeta Bandyopadhyay. Translated by Arunava Sinha

A powerful novel about a woman who runs away from home, seeking to free herself from the shackles of society and familial attachments, and instead devote her attentions to writing a novel. When she realises that her five year old son Roo has followed her, Ishwari struggles with her identity as a mother and the responsibilities that brings, versus the guilty knowledge that she cannot want her own child when his existence requires her to suppress her own dreams.

Ishwari and Roo wander the streets at night, looking for a place to stay, until an elderly caretaker takes pity on them and offers them an empty room on the terrace of a guest house. Ishwari gets work as a caregiver to the handsome gentleman who lives next door, while Roo, who is lame, spends all day locked up in the room on the roof. Pulsating with raw energy, Abandon gives voice to the perpetual conflict between life and art.

Press

“And I struggle to find my place in this dark novel. I yearn for passion and despair – for that is what makes good literature – while Ishwari seeks a life of joy for herself and her son.”

"India has found its Ferrante" — Niven Govinden

Rights Profile

Rights Available
World, all languages except for English for Indian subcontinent

Original Language
English

Samples Available
Full text available in English

ISBN

9781911284116

Publication Date

October 2017

Link

Abandon on the Tilted Axis website