Read Women discussion

This is the thread for our author discussion of Indian author, political activist and essayist, Arundhati Roy). We plan to start actively discussing her books starting September 10th. As we close out August (!! where did the last 4 months go?), it's a good time to gather copies of our planned first reads by her and delve into everything she's done and accomplished. I am even more wowed by reading her Wiki bio than I remember being in the past.

Highlights

Roy won the Booker Prize for her debut novel, The God of Small Things (1997), and it is also the biggest selling book by a non-expat Indian author.

She is an activist focused on globalization, environmental issues, and human rights. As a vocal critic of India state policies, she has faced legal challenges for her activism, including prosecution under India’s Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

Last September, her memoir, Mother Mary Comes to Me was released. Earlier this year, it was longlisted for the 2026 Women's Prize for Nonfiction and named one of the NYT Book Review's Top 10 Books of the Year.

Her publisher's promo page is worth quoting: One of the best-reviewed books of the year, a raw and deeply moving memoir that “pulses with compassion and moral outrage” (The Wall Street Journal) from the legendary author of The God of Small Things and The Ministry of Utmost Happiness that traces her complex relationship with her mother, Mary Roy, a fierce and formidable force who shaped Arundhati’s life both as a woman and a writer.

“Heart-smashed” by the death of the mother she ran from at age eighteen and shaken by the intensity of her response, Arundhati Roy began this remarkable memoir—a soaring account, both intimate and inspiring, of how the author became the person and the writer she is: shaped by circumstance but above all by her relationship to her extraordinary, singular mother Mary, who she describes as “my shelter and my storm.”

With the scale, sweep, and depth of her novels, and the passion, political clarity, and warmth of her essays, Mother Mary Comes to Me is an ode to freedom, a tribute to thorny love and savage grace—a memoir like no other.

Some links here that you can choose to explore as you like.

Wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arundha...

An interview of Roy by Talk Easy's Sam Fragoso focused on Mother Mary and Roy's experiences growing up with her mom. It's an hour and 11 minutes and I recommend it highly as a way of getting to know Roy, even if you don't ultimately read this book. https://www.bing.com/videos/riverview...

A transcript of an interview of Roy focused on her political engagement and how that relates to her writing. https://dialog.puchd.ac.in/wp-content...

Books, in order of pub date

Novels
1997 The God of Small Things
2017 The Ministry of Utmost Happiness

Non-fiction and Essay Collections
1999 The Cost of Living – Essays critiquing development projects in India, including the Narmada Dam

2000 Power Politics – Essays on globalization, multinational corporations, and their impact on developing countries

2001 War Is Peace– Essays analyzing the U.S.-led war on terror and global justice

2002 The Algebra of Infinite Justice
– Essays on nuclear power, Afghanistan, and Indian democracy

2003 The Checkbook and the Cruise Missile: Conversations With Arundhati Roy – Interviews with Roy discussing political issues

2003 War Talk – Essays on post-9/11 geopolitics, religious nationalism, and U.S. foreign policy

2004 Ordinary Person's Guide To Empire - a series of speeches on George W's administration but also the then-New American Empire, generally

2008 The Shape of the Beast: Conversations with Arundhati Roy

2009 Field Notes on Democracy: Listening to Grasshoppers – Essays on India’s democratic backsliding, Hindu nationalism, and Kashmir

2009 The Algebra of Infinite Justice

2011 Walking With The Comrades - "Deep in the forests, under the pretense of battling Maoist guerillas, the Indian government is waging a vicious total war against its own citizens-a war undocumented by a weak domestic press and fostered by corporations eager to exploit the rare minerals buried in tribal lands."

2011 Broken Republic: Three Essays - Essays examining the nature of progress and development in the emerging global superpower, and asks fundamental questions about modern civilization itself

2014 Capitalism: A Ghost Story – Essays critiquing economic inequality and corporate power in India

2016 The End of Imagination - collection of 5 books of essays ( Power Politics, War Talk, Public Power in the Age of Empire, and An Ordinary Person's Guide to Empire)

2017 The Doctor and the Saint: The Ambedkar - Gandhi Debate

2019 My Seditious Heart: Collected Nonfiction – A collection of essays and speeches on social justice, human rights, and activism

2020 Azadi: Freedom. Fascism. Fiction. – Essays on Kashmir, democracy, and resistance

2021 Things that Can and Cannot Be Said: Essays and Conversations (with John Cusack) – Essays on political and social issues, including global conflicts

2025 Mother Mary Comes to Me

[If I've missed any NF works, feel free to flag the gaps. I'm honestly stopping after digging for 90 minutes or so.]

I want to first read Mother Mary, then God of Small Thing, and I'm also intrigued to see what I can find of an essay or 6.

What books by Roy have you read, or plan to read during this author focus?

I've read The God of Small Things before! I can't remember anything except that I really loved it.

Ninnisha|Roberta wrote: "I've read The God of Small Things before! I can't remember anything except that I really loved it."

That's the important thing - fantastic to hear.

I came back to say, watch out viewing her videos. She is a compelling speaker and has so much passion, intelligence and humor, you run the risk that on a Monday when you should be working, you're instead down the rabbit hole of watching Roy videos. Bringing much joy to go with the work-related anxiety.

Oh gosh this has crept up on me. There's long waits for her books via my library and I meant to get ahead. Luckily I can get Mother Mary on audio for 18th Sept but it's end Oct/Nov for the novels. Which is pretty impressive considering how long ago they were published.

I haven't read Roy before, she's one of those authors I keep putting off without having an actual reason. Glad to hear Ninnisha loved one and Carol has been swept down a rabbit hole!

Hannah wrote: "Oh gosh this has crept up on me. There's long waits for her books via my library and I meant to get ahead. Luckily I can get Mother Mary on audio for 18th Sept but it's end Oct/Nov for the novels. ..."

I'm really impressed that your holds will take so long - as you said, her novels have been out for some time. I think I will get used copies of both, just to not be pressed on returning, and because there are millions of paperbacks on the market, so hopefully pricing is low.

On the "putting off" - me, too! The ebook version of Things that Can and Cannot Be Said was maybe a dollar, so I nabbed it.

I'm also interested in tracking down her writings on Kashmir, because I'd like to know alot more about the Kashmiri independence movement and facts than I do (very 100,000 foot level). I support it, but couldn't engage in a debate with anyone opposed with any real knowledge.

Good call! Got on the waitlist for the memoir. Should become available next month.

I am happily surprised that there's a wait at my library for both of the novels as well as (a shorter waitlist for) the memoir! We've got a substantial Indian population locally, but - still - a 25-person wait for The God of Small Things, a novel released in 1997? That's delightful.

My wait shouldn’t be long for the memoir cuz they apparently have !12! ebooks, so yea, demand is high right now 👍

I will be doing Mother Mary Comes to Me on audio! This will be my first for this author.

GailW wrote: "I will be doing Mother Mary Comes to Me on audio! This will be my first for this author."

her mother was a piece of work, as they say. we all have much to look forward to discussing. I’ll open a thread for discussion of Mother Mary.

Carol wrote: "GailW wrote: "I will be doing Mother Mary Comes to Me on audio! This will be my first for this author."

her mother was a piece of work, as they say. we all have much to look forwa..."

I've heard nothing but excellent things about this. Often the audiobook specifically too.

I might end up buying god of small things too if my loan doesn't move forward. It's not expensive

I have My Seditious Heart: Collected Nonfiction which I plan on reading soon. I honestly didn't know much about her until very recently. I'm excited to read some of her work. Thanks for all that info Carol.

Now that I know how much I didn't know, I didn't know squat about her until this week, Misty !! You're welcome. I'm joining you on reading My Seditious Heart, too, since I noticed this:

Everyone: FYI - The ebook of My Seditious Heart: Collected Nonfiction is on sale for $2.99 for 10 more hours. (probably US only).

Carol wrote: "Everyone: FYI - The ebook of My Seditious Heart: Collected Nonfiction is on sale for $2.99 for 10 more hours. (probably US only)."

Well you prompted me to see what I might find cheap on Kindle. I got Roy's The Doctor and the Saint: The Ambedkar - Gandhi Debate.
I also got Annihilation of Caste by B.R. Ambedkar. This title is on the cover of Roy's book which, in full, reads: The Doctor and the Saint - Caste, Race, and The Annihilation of Caste - The Debate Between B.R. Ambedkar and M.K. Gandhi.

Also I'm almost an hour (4 chapters) into the memoir. I got offered a skip-the-line loan for one week borrow only. It's so good so far. I'm still on waitlist for the ebook and back in line to re-borrow the audio. And I'm considering just buying the book cuz I've been really liking it so far... haha

Jen wrote: "Carol wrote: "Everyone: FYI - The ebook of My Seditious Heart: Collected Nonfiction is on sale for $2.99 for 10 more hours. (probably US only)."

Well you prompted me to see what I might find cheap..."

The Annihilation of Caste looked so interesting. And wow! the universe smiled on you ! good job jumping on that opportunity.