BOOKS

AFTERLIFE: GHOST STORIES FROM GOA

Lyrical and imaginative, ‘Afterlife: Ghost Stories from Goa’ marks the arrival of a fresh new talent on the literary scene. Goa. The Fonseca family is gathered in Savio’s house on the eve of his seventy-fifth birthday. It starts raining heavily, the electricity fails, and in the darkness, family members start narrating their encounters with the supernatural. As the night advances, many stories – deeply unsettling, for they are all connected to the Fonseca name – come humbling out. An ominous bird visits the family matriarch on her deathbed, a young boy is possessed by an older man’s spirit, and a deceased uncle sends an urgent message from beyond the grave. Startling family secrets are revealed, as is an ancient curse that forever binds the family.

THE DELICATE BALANCE OF LITTLE LIVES

A sixty-year-old spinster finds a surprising way to avenge a love betrayal from her youth. A daughter regrets making a peripheral wish inadvertently come true. An accomplished pianist chases her fears of ageing to the bottom of a bottle. A young girl tries to regain control of her life by destroying another. An investigative reporter gains enlightenment about her own sexuality during an interview.

Once again, the author of ‘Afterlife: Ghost stories from Goa’ brings us stories set against the backdrop of lush and vibrant Goa, India. Jessica Faleiro’s collection of interlinked stories explore how five, middle-class women try to make sense of loss and trauma in their lives.