Tamishra Swain reviews Nandini C Sen’s The Second Wife and Other Stories (Om Books International, 2022)
India is known for its patriarchal ideology, however, there are pieces of evidence that this patriarchy has been challenged in various ways. One of the ways to challenge patriarchy is through writing. It is rightly said that “to write is to resist”.
By writing their experiences, women writers create a counter-narrative that challenges the mainstream literature, that keep men at the center of every narrative. Nandini C Sen’s book The Second Wife and Other Stories is an example of such a parallel narrative that gives enough space to women’s world.
We encourage you to buy books from a local bookstore. If that is not possible, please use the links on the page and support us. Thank you.
The Author
Nandini C Sen teaches English at the University of Delhi. She was a fellow at the Indian Institute of Advanced Study, Shimla. She was also the recipient of the Charles Wallace Fellowship for Academic Research in London, the ambassador for the Peace Prize for her pioneering work in education slum dwellers, and the Write India award for her creative writing.
Sen writes on Diaspora studies, African Studies, and Comparative Literature. Some of her academic publications include The Black Woman Speaks: A Study of Flora Nwapa and Buchi Emecheta (2019), Through the Diasporic Lens Volumes 1 and 2 (2018), Mahasweta Devi: Critical Perspectives (2012).
Recommended Reads: 11 Historical Novels Depicting Women’s Condition in the 20th Century
She is also a regular contributor to literary journals like ‘The Elusive Genre’ and ‘The Muse’. She has also been featured in the Asian collective of Short Stories and the Australia-India collaboration titled The Glass Walls. Nandini Sen’s book The Second Wife and Other Stories published in 2022 by Om Books International consist of 11 short stories with Glossary.
This book accommodates some of the most important yet less discussed and often neglected issues of gender divide, domestic violence, child abuse, child marriage, marital rape, motherhood, casteism, queerphobia, etc.
The Writing
The first story is titled “The Sapphire Ring”. The story explores jealousy and betrayal with the backdrop of the Naxalbari movement. This story narrates the contribution of a lady in mobilizing the villagers for a revolution for the positive growth of the people.
“Lipstick” is another interesting story narrating the dilemma of a mother who does not understand the real identity of her son. It is a story of a mother’s journey from ignorance to realization of the reality of her son and understanding the world of queer.
“The Second Wife” tracks the protagonist’s journey from margin to center, from a subjugated wife to an empowered freedom fighter. “Queen Kaikeyi” is an equally beautiful piece of writing where the popular myth of Kaikeyi has been reinterpreted and a darker character has been portrayed with all the good qualities that have never been discussed earlier. Hence Kaikeyi gets a voice of her own to defend her position.
“Deliverance” also narrates a story of a mother and daughter, their struggle and fight against the convention of the society that contributes to their subversion. However, the daughter ultimately finds a way to rescue herself from the subversion of the suppressed marital life.
“The Santhal Maid” brings the reader’s mind toward the double marginalization of a tribal girl who is exploited by upper-class people physically and mentally.
The author Nandini C Sen aptly portrays the power politics of the society by representing different classes and their interaction with each other. The story “Thammi” is a story of sisterhood a space where each individual can share their problems and support each other.
The collection of 11 stories presents the female experiences like a wife in a middle-class hegemonic family, marital rape, childbirth, and experiences of gender biases in a family to widowhood. The stories are interesting to read and one can relate with the characters easily because of their realistic presence in the stories.
Favourite Quotes by Nandini C Sen
We tend to co-habit with our past. We allow it to impinge upon our present and our future.
The Second Wife and Other Stories by Nandini C Sen
I am a creeper in need of support to survive, but each time I curl around a tree, the gardener chops at its roots. So, I am learning how to be a tree whose roots can’t be hacked.
The Second Wife and Other Stories by Nandini C Sen
Thammi had left us all with tasks she hadn’t forced upon any of us…there was something much larger than self-gratification.
The Second Wife and Other Stories by Nandini C Sen
From the trusting young girl who had given herself to Manik, Bulki had exited the cocoon of innocence forever.
The Second Wife and Other Stories by Nandini C Sen
Have you read this tender exploration of the women’s world? What do you think of it? Drop a comment below and let us know!
