Awake When All the World Is Asleep

Carol A. Stos is an assistant professor of Spanish at Laurentian
University.

Shree Ghatage has written a collection of lyrical short stories that
plunge the reader into the sights, sounds, and smells of India. The
first story, “Heaven-Earth Difference,” begins with a flight from
Canada to Bombay. Shaila Goray, a young medical student, is returning
home on the occasion of her father’s 60th birthday. Shaila has to tell
her parents about her relationship with Simon, a Canadian, and about her
decision to emigrate, plans that are contrary to her parents’
expectations. Important issues are still unresolved when this story
ends, although Shaila will find some answers in the symbolically titled
“Sensible About Matters of Heart,” the last story in the collection.
In between, characters from one story appear in others, but are
presented in other roles and from another perspective. In these vivid
and poignant stories, the author has woven the rich tapestry of life in
India into a compelling and cohesive whole.