Premchand (Trn. by Rakshanda Jalil)

Ten classic stories from the master of Hindi literature. Nearly a century after they were written Premchand’s numerous short stories novels and plays written both in Hindi and Urdu continue to be a mirror to Indian society and its traditions. A winter’s Night and Other Stories brings together for young readers some of his most powerful short stories. This is a world inhabited by people like Halku forced to spend the bitterly cold winter night in the open without a blanket Kaki the old invalid aunt ill-treated by her own relatives and Shankar reduced to being a bonded labor for the sake of a handful of wheat. Premchand describes their plights with unflinching honesty. Yet all is not hopeless in this world. There is also little Hamid who buys tongs for his old grandmother rather than toys for himself Ladli who saves her share of puris for her blind aunt and Big Brother trying in vain to remember the strange names of English kings and queens. Greed dishonesty cruelty abound in this world as do kindness bravery and humor. These ten stories are an ideal introduction to Premchand and his concerns and ideas that remain relevant to this day.A Children’s Bookshelf Selection Each month our editor’s pick the best books for children and young adults by age to be a part of the children’s bookshelf. These are editorial recommendations made by our team of experts. Our monthly reading list includes a mix of bestsellers and top new releases and evergreen books that will help enhance a child’s reading life.About the AuthorMunshi Premchand was an Indian writer famous for his modern Hindi-Urdu literature. He is one of the most celebrated writers from India. Born Dhanpat Rai he began writing under the pen nam""Nawab R"" but subsequently switched t""Premcha"". His works include more than a dozen novels around 250 short stories several essays and translations of a number of foreign literary works into Hindi.