Summer between the pages...

Indian summers are more than just about heat and discomfort. They conjure up images of luscious mangoes, travel, fun and games. Summer also brings with it a generous dose of childhood nostalgia. However, in today’s times, we cannot think of summer without depressing thoughts about impending droughts and climate change. Our list for summer reading reflects this variation in the very experience of summer.

Indian Railways: The Weaving of a National Tapestry by Bibek Debroy, Sanjay Chadha, and Vidya Krishnamurthi

Summer journeys in India are inevitably associated with rail travel. This book is a fascinating account of how the railways have transformed over time, from their origins in resource extraction for the British Raj to their current role as the lifeline for the transport of people and goods across India’s vast and colourful landscape. The book is filled with glimpses of how India travels, eats, and transports everything from coal to bananas.

Summer’s Children by Anpu Varkey

This monochromatic wordless graphic novel by independent artist Anpu Varkey is a recollection of Varkey’s own childhood memories spent with her brother during summers in rural Kerala. Drawn using the pointillism technique, the book is rich with imagery, sparking thoughts about childhood and the sense of wonder one feels amidst dense foliage.

The Alchemy of Secrets by Priya Balasubramanian

Mira’s grandmother is on her deathbed, forcing Mira to return to Bengaluru, a city she fled from. Coming back to the city brings up memories of lazy summers, but not everything is idyllic. This novel spans three generations of a Bengaluru family over 70 years, from pre-independence to the cusp of economic liberalisation, reminding us of the flavour of the Bengaluru summer before climate change and urban concretisation. The story is layered and combines political and social commentary with classic storytelling.

A Case of Exploding Mangoes by Mohammed Hanif

For most of us, summer is synonymous with mangoes, and this book is a funny satire and political comedy set in Pakistan, full of dark humour and despotic army rulers. Mohammed Hanif weaves fact and fiction around the death of General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq, the sixth president of Pakistan, who died in a mysterious plane crash. The book is filled with improbable sub-plots about events that lead to the crash — a metaphorical whale, a real crow, crates of mangoes, tapeworms, a blind woman’s curse, Uncle Starchy’s herbs, a homosexual relationship and some VX gas.

Landscapes of Loss By Kavita Iyer

The scorching heat is not just tiresome for us urban dwellers but it is also a big bane for Indian farmers. Farmers are either forced to migrate to cities in search of work or grapple with the anxiety of impending drought. This book tells the story of Maharashtra, through the accounts of its people: marginal farmers, Dalits, landless labourers, farm widows and children and their struggles with drought.

Call Me By Your Name by Andre Aciman

This coming-of-age novel, set in Italy, revolves around the blossoming of a romantic relationship between 17-year-old Elio and 24-year-old Oliver, a visiting doctoral student at Elio’s house. What starts off as a fleeting summer romance is actually an immersive exploration of identity, attraction and the role of love in our lives.

The writer spends much of her time figuring out how to run an independent bookstore, while also reading and spending time with her dog, cat and plants.

Piqued is a monthly column in which the staff of Champaca Bookstore bring us unheard voices and stories from their shelves.