Sthory of Two Wimmin Named Kalyani and Dakshayani A Story of Two Women about female friendships in a world where women are taught they belong nowhere and own nothing

by Rajasree, R; J., Devika

• ISBN13: 9780670096909
• ISBN10: 0670096903
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2023-05-07
• Publisher: India Hamish Hamilton

Summary

The Sthory of Two Wimmin Kalyani and Dakshayani traces luminous paths of female friendship in the rural worlds of north Malabar, through the lives of two rural women, Kalyani and Dakshayani. Rebelling against the patriarchy in school at the age of six ('Rot in 'ell, yuh sonofabitch', yells Dakshayani at the school master who lifted her skirt to pinch her thigh, and walks out of school, with Kalyani following in solidarity), the two friends take on life and love. Women have no native place, they learn-but they have each other. Rajashree's cleverly crafted narrator pauses and plays the scenes of their struggles, pains and laughter, drawing strength from them for her own battle against the mind-police. The bittersweet longing for one's place of birth, the dialects of Malayalam, animals, spirits-all come alive in Rajashree's beautifully crafted tale, enabled by Devika's magnificent and careful translation.

Author Biography

<b>R. Rajasree (Author) </b><br> R. Rajasree was born in Parassinikkadavu in northern Kerala in 1977. She currently teaches at the Government Brennan College at Thalassery. She has a PhD in Malayalam and her early writing includes books on detective fiction and on the construction of female protagonists in Malayalam. Her first novel, titled <i>Kalyaaniyum</i><i> </i><i>Daakshaayaniyum</i><i> </i><i>Ennu</i><i> </i><i>Peraaya</i><i> </i><i>Randu</i><i> </i><i>Sthreekalute</i><i> Kata</i>, wrote originally as a series of Facebook posts, was published in 2019. Hailed as an exciting new voice in Malayalam, it has subsequently won major literary awards in Malayalam, notably the Kerala Sahitya Akademi award (2021).<br><br><b>Devika J. (Translator) </b><br> Devika J. is a researcher and translator currently with the Centre for Development Studies, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. She translates literary writing from Malayalam to English and social science writing from English to Malayalam. She has translated the literary writings of K. R. Meera, Sarah Joseph, Unni R., Ambikasutan Mangad, Lalithambika Antharjanam and others. Her website www.swatantryavaadini.in is a collection of translations of the writings of early twentieth-century feminists from the Malayalam-speaking regions.<br><br>