Tab Article

Genre: Memoir, History, Cultural Studies
Ratings: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ (4/5)

Book Review:
This book is a charming and light-hearted collection of vignettes that offers a vivid portrait of a now-vanished world: the unique milieu of the anglicized Indian Christian family in the final years of the British Raj. Rani Sircar, with a sharp and affectionate eye, holds up a mirror to a society that ''took cultural hybridity unconsciously for granted.''

The memoir beautifully captures the flow of life in cities like Colombo, Lahore, and Madras before Independence, and the evolving social landscape of post-1947 Calcutta. It paints a colorful mosaic of school days, holidays, and the ''pomp and circumstance'' of a society in major transition, observing the cultural fusions and tensions with wit and warmth.

More than a personal story, it is a valuable social history. It evokes the flavor of a specific South Asian experience, marking the end of one era and the beginning of another. A delightful and insightful read for anyone interested in the personal stories behind the grand narrative of British India.