That Woman You See: A fine tapestry of stories that define women of India

The book attempts to explore the heart and mind of the modern Indian woman; who is tired of suppressing her true nature, dreams and desires (in the largely patriarchal society) and wishes to express herself and do her own thing even if makes her look bad in front of her family, friends and society.

The nine heroines, (of the nine stories), in the collection are shown as modern, rebellious, and even possibly queer in popular perception. They unapologetically declare their unorthodox views about different aspects of life thus displaying the different hidden layers of their personality.

The flavour of each story is different. And the author has experimented with narrative style and form. The themes in the book include: pathos, love, infidelity, arranged marriage, colour bias, hope and joy. Giving it a whole new twist, the collection ends with a poem titled – ‘That woman you see,’ which is also the title of the book and gives out a brief description of the collection.

Praises for the Book:

'That Woman You See is a fine tapestry of stories that define women of India.' – Priyanka Sinha Jha, author Supertraits of Superstars

‘With the consummate ease of a master storyteller, Sujata Parashar brings to life nine women, each striving for a life less ordinary. That Woman You See will make you cry, smile, and fall in love with the women in your life all over again.’ – Siddhartha Gigoo, winner of the Commonwealth Short Story Prize 2015 (Asia)

A novelist, poet, short story writer and activist, Sujata Parshar’s debut novel, ‘In pursuit of infidelity,’ (2009) explored the man – woman relationship outside the institution of marriage from a modern woman’s perspective. It was a bestseller. The second in the series, ‘In Pursuit of Ecstasy,’ (2011) studied the youth -parent relationship in modern times and made an attempt to portray how the seeds of dissension between the two impact the society at large. The book was long listed for the Economist Crossword Book Award 2012. Her latest novel, the third in the “Pursuit” series, ‘In Pursuit of a Lesser Offence,’ was released in 2014 and explores the relevance of institution of marriage in current times. Her first short fiction, ‘Wake me only when the Sun is high,’ (2011), and her first book of poems (2012) in the series, ‘Poetry Out and Loud,’ have won awards.

She is active in the literary circles and contributes to literature as member of the planning board of Kumaon Literary Festival, (KLF), it’s an annual retreat literary festival held in the hilly region of Kumaon to promote literature art and culture. She’s also on the planning board of Delhi Poetry Festival, (DPF).

Sujata holds a Masters in Human Rights and is a certified professional in the field of Travel and Tourism management. She also has a rich and diverse professional portfolio: She has worked for a European airline, a business hotel in India and a seaside resort in Singapore before joining the social sector as a social worker and trainer. She is currently on the executive board of Empowering Minds; a national level NGO located in Delhi. Sujata loves to travel and unwinds by watching a period film.