The Old Prostitute and Other Stories

The stories of this collection were written over a span of several decades beginning in 1985 and ending in 2022. A few of them were translated by Manisha Roy from her mother tongue, Bengali. Despite the geographical and other contextual differences, the narrative shifted and at times translated itself as if the author traveled easily between different landscapes-both external and internal. Roy's academic training as a cultural anthropologist and later professional training in Analytical Psychology no doubt left undeniable influence in her wandering in the fascinating world of fictional imagination. Nearly half of the stories are short-an experiment attempted with the genre of flash fiction. However, the strength and charm of the narrative are not affected by the choice of the experiment. Like her translation Roy is able to transcend such structural issues of creating fiction. Readers will find reading these stories a new and unique experience. Table of Contents Mother Country The Old Prostitute The Mystery of the Göta Canal Illegal Immigrant A Wedding Gift Returning Home Family Looking for My Father My Mother The Betel Quid Stalemate Madeleine The Yellow Nursery Foible Passion A Day of a Therapist's Practice Martinis and Chocolate Mousse Alone Sherry's Challenge Saturday Evening A Break The Swimmer of Colombo The Ideal Partner in the Nineteen-seventies Spilled Coffee Hunger Strike The Wristwatch The Wheelchair