A member of the Viceroy’s executive council, a delegate at the third round table conference, a legal advisor to Motilal Nehru and an initiator of compulsory primary education as the Dewan of Travancore, Sir C.P. Ramaswamy Aiyar was a man who strode the political, intellectual and cultural landscape of India like a colossus. Shakuntala Jagannathan, as C. P’s granddaughter, presents a collection of reminiscences of a man she called “Thatha”. Starting with his birth on the Deepavali of 1879 at Wandiwash, the book goes on to provide little gems of information – from his reluctance to enter the legal profession, to his fierce loyalty for the Maharaja of Travancore. Written in a style that is simple and highly personal, the book is certain to captivate the curious reader.

This book of poems, dedicated to all the women of the world, commemorates the gender’s charm, grace, beauty, strength, love, passion, loyalty and commitment. Sometimes placed on a pedestal, sometimes dashed to the ground, loved and hated, admired and ridiculed, coveted and scorned, but never ignored, the volume studies the many faces of The Girl. Written in a style that marries sound and sense, Coomi Singh’s volume would appeal not only to women, but also those who love and cherish them.