The forty three stories from twenty-one languages anthologised in the book reglect the diversity and complexity of life lived in India.From the violence and mass hysteria of the partition to the suppressed rage and the gnawing self-pity of individuals trapped in broken homes-these stories capture the outer and inner lives of Indian Society.The sacred andf the profane,the elite and subaltern meet in many-layered narratives in these stories,providing us metaphors to visualise ourselves.These stories map an eventful century during which India emerged into a nation.The images gathered here from the haunted interiors of the twentieth century are both disquieting and illuminating.