Anurakte- The Enamoured

There are many rags-to-riches stories around the city of Mumbai. However, here is a story of transformation of a woman and her true self in the city of dreams. Set in Mangalore and Mumbai of the late 1940s, Anurakte - The Enamoured is an elegantly written story of a woman and her changing worldview over a period of time.

Sumithra, a young woman with ordinary dreams and aspirations, comes to the then Bombay in search of livelihood. Little did she know that her experiences in the city and her zest for an independent life would transform her into a different person. She breaks the shell and resolves not to look back. The book is a poignant tale of love, loss, betrayal, family, relationships and traditions. The culturescape of Mumbai beautifully intertwines with her dreams. It is as much a story of the vibrancy of Mumbai as it is about Sumithra's journey towards freedom.

Vyasaraya Ballal (1923-2008) has written 25 books, and more than 100 short stories mostly in Kannada. His other works include essays, travelogues and adaptation of plays. The adaptations include plays by George Bernard Shaw and Henrik Ibsen. His novel Vatsalya Patha has been translated into Marathi and the novel Bandaya into Tamil, Bangla and Marathi. Some of his short stories have also been translated into Gujarati, Malayalam, English and Hindi. He was able to brilliantly portray the emotional complexities and the struggles of families dealing with social pressure. He has received several prestigious awards such as the Sahitya Akademi Award (1986), the Maharashtra Government Gourava Puraskar (1990), the A N Krishnarao Award (2000), the Masti Award (2004) and others.

"Two things that have contributed to my creative zeal are my aesthetic aspirations and a desire, born out of a frustrated and difficult childhood, to probe what is real."

Book’s Content and Sample Pages