This is a sequel to Jorasanko and mainly talks about the life and times of women who influenced Tagore. Both are part-fictional accounts of life and times of Tagore and the many women who influenced him in the ancestral mansion. As painted by the author, the novel is largely set between the years 1859 and 1902 when a feudal mindset was slowly, reluctantly giving way to a liberal, westernized one.

Tagore, though a Nobel prize winner, is no different from a common man struggling to cope when it comes to dealing with his family. His skill to write world class poems with ease, fills us with admiration, while his struggle to handle simple household matters makes us feel nothing but pity for the poor soul.

My heart bled for Kadambari, one of Robi’s sister in law, whose life turns out to be a pathetic curse. Many characters in the book make a big impact in reader’s minds. But my personal favourite is Jnanadanandhini, eldest sister in law of the household, the dynamo wife of Maharshi Debendranath’s second son Satyendranath Tagore.

Jnanadanandini has been dignified with the title of the “first modern woman” of Bengal when modernism was still in its infancy. She is perhaps one of the strongest influences on Rabindranath.

Read the book in one sitting if you can — the age comes alive and grabs you leaving a lasting impact.