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Audiobooks Narrated by Shivani Vakil Savant
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"'Anoushka writes with the curiosity of a researcher and the tenderness of a storyteller - her begums simply refuse to be forgotten.' - Sadaf Hussain, author and chef
'Lifts the purdah of history from splendid Mughal women... painting their pain and power for posterity.' -Koral Dasgupta, author of The Sati Series
'Brings long-neglected women vividly to life, turning history's hidden stories into modern-day lessons.' -Manish Gaekwad, author of The Last Courtesan
History rarely shines a light on the formidable Mughal begums who boldly navigated the imperial courts, brokered powerful deals, reshaped Delhi's skyline, created private spaces for women, fought battles and resisted patriarchy - all from their place behind the purdah.
In Badass Begums, Anoushka Jain introduces you to ten such Mughal-era women whose lives rippled with ambition, romance, intrigue and fierce resilience. Jahanara Begum, Shah Jahan's favourite daughter who designed Chandni Chowk and her sister, the firebrand Roshanara Begum, who schemed with Aurangzeb to take over her father's empire; the invincible Begum Samru, a tawaif-turned-ruler, who led her own army into battles; Maham Anga and Mubarak Begum, whose counsel rivalled that of chief ministers, and the resolute Qudsia Begum who built riverfront gardens only to see them battered by rebellions - these and other stories come alive in a riveting narrative and walking tour maps of the places they lived in or curated.
Based on rigorous research and written with warmth, Badass Begums is an eye-opening journey through the breathtaking legacies still hidden in the by-lanes of Delhi."
"It has been a century since the massacre at Jallianwala Bagh, but Punjab is still to recover from the shock of it. The British Empire never did either-the impact of those bullets fired for ten minutes at an unarmed, peaceful crowd inside a community park with one narrow exit rang through its remaining years in India. Yet, the true horror of the event itself has been forgotten, as also the volatile atmosphere in Punjab at the time.
What was the catalyst for the events of that day and how did it become a turning point in India's struggle for independence? Why did the British feel the need to impose martial law on Amritsar, which had shown little inclination for violence, despite provocation? What do we know about the individuals whose lives spun out of control on 19 April 1919, never to recover? Why did the people of Punjab suffer barbaric punishments, including public flogging, torture and even bombing, unknown to the rest of the world?
These are the questions fuelling the research that eventually gave shape to this meticulous and determined reconstruction of that crucial day, and the events which followed. Based on the reports of the Hunter Committee and the Indian National Congress, as well as other historical documents, Jallianwala Bagh, 1919: The Real Story provides a sharp analysis of General Dyer's actions and their fallout-the official narrative and the Indian counter-narratives."
"Becoming a parent can be both terrifying and exciting. You will have a million questions, from how to prepare for the birth to how to feed your baby to what to expect in terms of growth and what vaccines the baby needs. It can all be overwhelming. 'Helpful advice' often ends up being confusing, and the internet can be a source of panic.
During her thirty years of practice, paediatrician Dr Saroja Balan has met thousands of parents and found herself answering the same questions. While she firmly believes parenting is mostly learning on the job, she knows a little help goes a long way. Written specifically for Indian parents, It's Your Baby is the best support to accompany you on your journey.
It is meant to help you figure out when your child needs to see a doctor and when you can handle things on your own. Covering basics such as sleep, breastfeeding and common ailments, it also includes all you need to know about screen time, childhood obesity, pollution and parenting styles, helping you navigate the first two years of parenthood.
Dr Balan's reassuring, no-nonsense approach makes this the essential guide for a safe and healthy child - and a more confident you!"
"Myra wants to quit her job.Kabir is looking to resign from the board.Sandy just dropped out of college.Discover yourself within these restless twenty-somethings as they stand on the cusp of making life-changing decisions. Battling their inner demons and societal taboos, they wish to live life on their own terms. Their passion brings them together and with nothing but Ramy’s travel blog as their guiding star, they set out on the open road to follow what they desire.But their journey entails a devastating personal loss, an undying fear and a host of obstacles. Will they be able torealize their shared dream? Or will they succumb to the hardships on their road to freedom?On the Open Road is an inspirational story of three ordinary individuals who refuse to give up on themselves."
"WINNER OF THE TATA LITERATURE LIVE FIRST BOOK AWARD (NON-FICTION) 2021
Maharashtra, India's richest state by GDP, has its eyes set on becoming the country's first trillion-dollar economy by 2025. At the same time, Marathwada -- a historically backward part of the state adjoining the distressed Vidarbha region -- has seen a surge in farmer suicides.
At the heart of the crisis is a cyclical drought that has persisted for almost a decade. Relief packages and loan waivers have not reversed the trend. On the contrary, the stories of dystopia grow more tragic every year as thousands of farmer families flee to the big cities, while those who stay back are plagued by bad credit and crop loss.
Landscapes of Loss tells the story of Marathwada through the accounts of its people: marginal farmers, Dalits, landless labourers, farm widows and children. It lays bare the complex factors that have brought the region to this pass -- a story representative, in many ways, of the agrarian unrest in large parts of rural India."
"Of Small Towns, Big Dreams and Greater Achievements
Growing up in the sleepy towns of Bhilai and Bokaro, Arundhati Bhattacharya never imagined that one day she would go on to chair India's largest bank. It was sheer chance that she came to know of the bank probationary officers' entrance examination through a friend. She applied, was selected and went on to have a glorious banking career spanning four decades.
Indomitable is the story of Arundhati's life as a banker and the challenges she faced in a male-dominated bastion. She takes the reader through her childhood and early education in the 1960s, getting to Kolkata for her college education and then into the State Bank of India(SBI), where she started her career.
The life of a woman banker with a family in a frequently transferrable job isn't easy. In Arundhati's life, too, there were breaking points when she almost thought of quitting her career to balance her personal aspirations with her family's needs. But she didn't give up. Instead, she faced her challenges with humour and positivity and took up every assignment as a new chapter in learning and adapting.
In her role as the chairman of SBI, she steered the bank through some of its worst phases. She inspired confidence in the banking sector when the NPA crises led to a significant public-trust deficit. Under her leadership, SBI metamorphosed into a customer-centric and digitally advanced bank while playing a pivotal role in national development. Some of her human resources initiatives included industry-first practices that were appreciated and later adopted by other banks.
Candid, lucid and humble, Indomitable is a story that will galvanize you to embrace challenges, break barriers, push forward and achieve greater heights."
"'A gem of a book' - Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
Power: a word that's as dissociated from women in real life as it's seen to be embodied by them through ideas of Shakti. Reduced to mere tropes in Indian mythology - the innocent Kanya, seductive Apsara, warrior-like Veera, the noble Rani, nurturing Maa, the wise Rishika - the images of feminine mystique are reservoirs of power.
Changing the conversation from how these stereotypes shackle women to how they can enable them, Nirupama Subramanian uses the wisdom of archetypes to provide practical advice to women to claim the powers they need to achieve their goals.
In a world where biases precede their entry into every space, Powerful helps modern women understand their sources of power and embark on a path of transformation and growth."
"Selected stories for children from the Mahabharata ranging from how the Mahabharata was written to the Mritasanjivani story, the birth of Devavrata, the palace of Lac, Draupadi's Swayamvara, the passing of Bhishma and many other equally enthralling stories from one of the greatest epics of all time. This is the second book in the recently launched From the House of Harper series which will include collections of classic Indian tales. The first book in the series was a collection of the Panchatantra stories, A Basketful of Animal Tales."
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