The Many Lives of Pauloma Chattopadhyay – Devangi Bhatt, Tr. Mudra Joshi

Description

This is the story of Pauloma Chattopadhyay, a middle-aged housewife living in Kolkata. When an old earthen vessel in the storeroom of her house transports Pauloma to different worlds, the rules of time and space are suspended, puncturing the mundanity of routine.

She is whisked to Germany where she becomes Aurora Miller, Egypt where she lives as Princess Rabiya Abdi, and Gujarat where she transforms into the fiery Monghi.

The bizarre ensues in full force when Pauloma travels across the eras of Germany under Nazi occupation, Egypt in the throes of a cultural revolution, and post-Independence rural India steeped in superstition.

The stories of the three women become increasingly entwined with Pauloma’s who loses her grip over reality.