Books 89 and 90 of 2021. Two short stories I read yesterday thanks to #kindleunlimited Two vastly different tales. One fiction and thr other, sadly all too rooted in real life. 13 Men by Sonia Faleiro introduces us to Baby, a Santhal woman who has come back home to her village in West Bengal, after living and working in Delhi for a couple of years. Her new life and the choices she makes with what she's wears, who she dates and how she acts makes her fellow villagers uneasy. They no longer understand her and feels like she has put on airs. An affair with an outsider, a married Muslim man drives the villagers to take a cruel decision and punish Baby for her "wayward ways". Baby is gangraped as a punishment. Punishment! Infuriating, frightening and written with so much sensitivity, this essay was uncomfortable to read in parts but important to see how women are policed in our country and across communities. I knew nothing of this case from 2014 and I am glad I found my way to this story. ~~~~ββββ~~~~ββββ Mr. and Mrs. Pinto is a sweet yet all too real story of a 50 year old marriage. I went in expecting a sweet, cute story about an old couple who've been married for 50 years but to my absolutely joy, I found a nuanced story about an inter-faith marriage, an obvious love match where like so many unions, love has left the building. It's a poignant story of love lost and maybe love found. Relatable and sweet and full of beautiful illustrations. I loved hanging out with Mr. & Mrs. Pinto, especially Mr. Pinto who is a kind and sweet man. . . . #whimsybookworm2021reads #nonfictionbooks #soniafaleiro #13men #mrandmrspinto #Kindle #booksofinstagram #bookstagram #unitedbookstagram #bookrecommendations #bookreviews #shortstories #quickreads #essays #readers #bibliophile #booknerdigans (at West Bengal) https://www.instagram.com/p/CQlDsaGpifO/?utm_medium=tumblr
