About the Book: Upcountry Tales: Once Upon a Time in the Heart of India
In this delightful collection—his second work of fiction—one of the most
celebrated observers of Indian politics and society takes us back to the 1980s,
when India was at a crossroad and economic liberalization was yet to happen. Set
in the villages of eastern Uttar Pradesh, these are stories about ordinary
people finding memorable ways to deal with bad governance, inequality and
corruption. A timid, elderly Dalit defies tradition to build a temple; a farmers
wife plots to save her family from the follies of her tractor-hating husband; a
retired headmistress leads the