The Courtesans of Karim Street

Author: Debotri Dhar
Publisher: Niyogi Books, New Delhi
(Pp 218, ISBN 978-93-83098-99-6, Rs 295)

The impressive monochrome cover, with just the hint of green – green eyes and lettering in green – makes one pick up the book instantly. And reader will not be disappointed on reading it. Two parallel stories – one set in Newark in USA and another set in Delhi – make you wonder what would be the connection between the two.

The story revolves around two girls – Megan Adams from USA, who sets off to Delhi after receiving an anonymous letter that says something about her untold past. While, Naina is a young Indian woman, who is trying to navigate through the stony, impenetrable divide between the old and new sides of Delhi every day. These two women meet as Megan wants to know about her past from Naina’s aunt. The two gel together, helping each other see their lives from a new perspective. But, they both share the same past and something more….

The chemistry between the two girls is so good that one can feel the imprint of their own sibling bond. The story is interesting and makes you fall in love with the characters. A very interesting and well-researched novel from young author – Debotri Dhar!

– Varsha Verma