Chandni Begum

Qurratulain Hyder

Translated from Urdu by Saleem Kidwai

Hyder’s last novel spans the period from Partition to the Mandir-Masjid dispute in Ayodhya during the 1990s, returning to her favourite themes and spaces, including women entertainers, popular mysticism and the chawls of Bombay. The story revolves around two prominent families in Lucknow and chronicles the life of Qambar, a revolutionary, and the three women with whom he is involved.

Women Unlimited, 340 pages, Rs 450