A Space of Her Own : Personal Narratives of Twelve Women

Focusing on relationships between women of different generations in India, this book comprises of narratives demonstrating how each contributor established her own personhood through engagement with a wider kin group. Did the women portrayed in the narratives find space for themselves within orthodox structures? Or, were they so constrained by the social roles of the greatest importance to their families - as wives and mothers - that ending these roles meant some kind of death? How did their lives mould those of the narrators of these life histories? Showing that women need not always be seen as victims, these are stories of women who found strength, success and independence from the inspiring lives of their mothers and grandmothers. Several Books Have Been Written About The Position Of Women In India's Patriarchal Society. This Collection Of Twelve Narratives, However, Focuses Not So Much On Women's Subservient Position Vis-a-vis Men, But On Women's Relations With Each Other. With The Authors Locating Their Personal Struggles Within Those Of Three Generations Of Women In Their Families, These Narratives Span A Period Of Over 100 Years, And Intersect Both The Private And Public Domains.--book Jacket. Introduction / Carolyn M. Elliott -- The Wind Beneath My Wings / Nabaneeta Dev Sen -- A Heritage Of Heresy Within Tradition / Nina Mazumdar -- A Daughter Of Awadh / Zarina Bhatty -- A Struggle For Space / Hema Sundaram -- The Tyranny Of Tradition / Leela Gulati -- Wings Come To Those Who Fly / Maithreyi Krishna Raj -- The Times That Are A-changing / Priti T. Desai -- Uneven Earth And Open Sky / Saroja Kamakshi -- Abode Of Colour / Vijaya Mehta -- Striking New Roots / Sushil Narulla -- Matriliny Within Patriliny / Jasodhara Bagchi -- Three Generations Of Women / Mary Roy -- Afterword: The Colonised Coloniser / Arlie Hochschild. Editors, Leela Gulati, Jasodhara Bagchi. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [265]-269). Contents......Page 8 Introduction......Page 10 1 - The Wind Beneath My Wings......Page 22 2 - A Heritage of Heresy within Tradition......Page 44 3 - A Daughter of Awadh......Page 66 4 - A Struggle for Space......Page 84 5 - The Tyranny of Tradition......Page 106 6 - Wings Come to Those Who Fly......Page 126 7 - The Times that are a-Changing......Page 144 8 - Uneven Earth and Open Sky......Page 166 9 - Abode of Colour......Page 182 10 - Striking New Roots......Page 204 11 - Matriliny within Patriliny......Page 224 12 - Three Generations of Women......Page 238 Afterword: The Colonised Coloniser......Page 258 Select Bibliography......Page 266 About the Editors and Contributors......Page 272