When Shuvashree Ghosh was pursuing a career that comprised rendezvous aplenty with people from the North East, little did she realise that she had stumbled on the plot of her debut novel ‘Across Borders’.
The book that was launched here on Thursday chronicles the life and struggles of a woman born in pre-Independent India.
Following the journey of the protagonist through the hardships she faces, as the result of her husband’s second marriage and political conflicts, the book is possibly one of the few female voices that narrate the tales on the North East. It is a winding journey from Barpeta in Assam to Dacca in erstwhile East Pakistan and then to Bengal, connecting human adversities.
Talking to City Express, the Chennai-based author says that the book is largely interspersed with true stories, from her interactions with the locals intertwined with her vivid imagination.
“During service quality audits for an airline operator I frequented places like Jorhat, Guwahati and Imphal. There I have observed the lifestyles and heard many stories about the era. My parents originally hail from Bangladesh, so I am very familiar with stories from that part. Moreover, issues like polygamy, cervical cancer are also based on true stories, while I have also penned my views in the context,” she says.
While the author read many works on similar topics throughout the two-and-a-half years of work on the book, she deliberately avoided referring works by Indian authors Amitav Ghosh and Amit Chaudhri, whose works touch upon a similar subject. “They are very good writers, no doubt. But, reading them while writing ‘Across Borders’ would have made me follow their line of thoughts, subconsciously.”
‘Across Borders’ is not just a result of the author’s desire to write, but also stems from her experiences in the corporate world that constantly led her to find her voice.
“The desire to write came from the fact that I had so much to say. In the last 18-20 years, having worked in corporates, I have realised that us women have to assert ourselves and try to prove our mettle time and again. More so, in case you happen to be above-average looking. This book actually reflects more than just my passion for writing,” she adds.
The author also adds that ‘Across Borders’ brought her out of her comfort zone. Though she doubted her choice of subject, a meeting with renowned publisher David Davidar reinstated her faith in the endeavour.
“With the career I have had, it would have been easier to pen a chick lit. Being a first time writer also had its own advantages — I had no baggage to fall back on and just had to write what I wanted to say,” she adds.
On the anvil is a sequel to ‘Across Borders’ and a book on the 1971 War.
Published by Kaziranga Books, ‘Across Borders’ is priced at `299.