Janani - Mothers, Daughters, Motherhood

Book info: Janani - Mothers, Daughters, Motherhood (Paperback, 196 pages) – SAGE Publications Pvt. Ltd, 2006. Language: English.

Janani, or mother as the creator of life, is what defines this collection of narratives. The book brings together the writings of women from various walks of life–authors, artists, academics, and ordinary citizens–to present their experiences of being mothers and daughters. The complex emotional journeys detailed in the touching narratives are heartwarming and provocative. Dedicating this volume to the women who went before and the generations that are yet to come, the contributors abandon their public faces to provide humane, intimate, and compelling real-life narratives. The collection includes true stories on adoptive motherhood, step-mothering, and single-motherhood. On the one hand, the reader encounters the gut-wrenching description of an avoidable abortion, and on the other, the firm choice made by a woman never to be a mother. The many stories presented here vividly depict the whole gamut of the experience of motherhood. An immensely readable book, it will appeal to all–mothers, daughters, fathers, sons–in short, all those who are part of and celebrate human relationships. Editorial Reviews About the Author

Rinki Bhattacharya is Chairperson of the Bimal Roy Memorial Committee. She is also a well-known journalist and documentary film-maker based in Mumbai. Her documentary, Char Diwari, on domestic violence has received international acclaim. She made a five-minute audio-visual capsule, Janani―based on the same theme as this book. Ms Bhattacharya has also worked as a volunteer at Nari Kendra in Mumbai and started, in 1987, a crisis hotline called Help. Her publications include Bengal Spices (2005), Behind Closed Doors: Domestic Violence in India (2004), Indelible Imprints―Daughters Write on Fathers (1999), Uncertain Liaisions: Sex, Strife & Togetherness in Urban India (1996), Bimal Roy―A Man of Silence (1994), Cuisine Creations from Bengal (1993), monograph on the film-maker Bimal Roy, monograph on film-star Ashok Kumar, genres of Indian Cinema―Les star Du Indian Cinema.