Small Remedies

Shashi Deshpande's latest novel explores the lives of two women one obsessed with music and the other a passionate believer in Communism who break away from their families to seek fulfilment in public life. Savitribai Indorekar born into an orthodox Hindu family elopes with her Muslim lover and accompanist Ghulaam Saab to pursue a career in music. Gentle strong-willed Leela on the other hand gives her life to the Party and to working with the factory workers of Bombay.Fifty years after these events have been set in motion Madhu Leela's niece travels to Bhavanipur Savitribai's home in her last years to write a biography of Bai. Caught in her own despair over the loss of her only son Aditya Madhu tries to make sense of the lives of Bai and those around her and in doing so seeks to find a way out of her own grief.