3 Review(s)

The sense of cultural continuity, which serves as the moorings of a society, involves both conjunctions and disruptions in tradition. These can become a shared legacy only when there is a process of historical recognition. However, a complex set of processes - which include the idea of what constitutes a literary canon, the dominance of a particular kind of discourse and gender bias push certain writings towards oblivion. Based on archival research, this fascinating book brings together many of the neglected writings of Odia women of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Sachidananda Mohanty focuses on a period when women's writings dealt not only with questions of gender and identity but also with cultural, political and ideological issues of their times. Utilizing different forms - short stories, poems, essays, travel writings, novels and letters - these women writers responded honestly both to the world that was in turmoil around them and to the demands of their own inner selves.