Widows of Vidarbha
{{Short description|2018 book by Kota Neelima}}
{{Infobox book
| italic title =
| name = Widows of Vidarbha: Making of Shadows
| image = File:Widows_of_Vidarbha,_Making_of_Shadows,_by_Kota_Neelima,_2018_book_cover.jpg
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| alt = 2018 book cover, depicting a black silhouette face of a woman wearing a white with grey trim head covering and a grey shoulder covering, against a red background, as well as the book title and author name.
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| author = Kota Neelima
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| country = India
| language = English
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| publisher = Oxford University Press
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| pub_date = 2018
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| isbn = 9780199484676
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| website = {{url|http://www.kotaneelima.com/}}
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Widows of Vidarbha: Making of Shadows is a non-fiction book by Kota Neelima published in 2018 by Oxford University Press. The book chronicles the lives of 16 widows of farmers in India after their husbands died from suicide, and the experiences of the women afterwards.
Synopsis
Based on interviews with 16 widows from the Yavatmal and Amravati districts of Vidarbha, the book explores the impact of farming crises in 2001-2004 and 2012-13 in 18 anecdotes from the viewpoint of women whose farmer husbands died by suicide,{{cite news |last1=Sharma |first1=Suridhi |title=Struggles in the Shadows |url=https://www.deccanchronicle.com/sunday-chronicle/shelf-life/060518/struggles-in-the-shadows.html |access-date=19 September 2021 |work=Deccan Chronicle |date=May 6, 2018}} including how they managed to support their families.{{cite news |last1=Banerjee |first1=Poulomi |title=India's invisible widows: It's time for a separate kind of feminism in rural India |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/books/india-s-invisible-widows-it-s-time-for-a-separate-kind-of-feminism-in-rural-india/story-bxf68b9E6RhClcGxFkWcyL.html |access-date=19 September 2021 |work=Hindustan Times |date=January 27, 2018}}
Reception
In a review for the Hindustan Times, Manjula Narayan writes, "The writing is taut, often ironic, and devoid of unnecessary adjectives and stylistic flourishes. Instead, the author allows the women to speak, putting down the nuances of each of their stories, almost editing herself out. The result is a book that's filled with stark pain, one that's almost unbearably honest."{{cite news |last1=Narayan |first1=Manjula |title=Review: Widows of Vidarbha by Kota Neelima |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/books/review-widows-of-vidarbha-by-kota-neelima/story-TSxMikncXssEvcJ6dc22zN.html |access-date=18 September 2021 |work=Hindustan Times |date=April 27, 2018}} In a review for The Hindu Business Line, TV Jayan writes, "Each chapter in this book is a real story of gritty women who made all sincere efforts to bring up their children and provide them with education to the extent possible despite all odds in life and limitations imposed on them by the society."{{cite news|last=Jayan |first=TV |title=Unseen victims of farm distress|url=https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/opinion/books/kota-neelima-book-review-widows-of-vidarbha-making-of-shadows/article23349489.ece|newspaper=The Hindu Business Line|date=March 25, 2018|access-date=18 September 2021}}
A review published in Firstpost states, "Neelima's book focuses on the voices of the widows of these farmers who are otherwise ignored, shunned and subjugated by their families and the government. It's a deeply relevant contextualisation of the women who never make it to the narrative."{{cite news |last1=The Ladies Finger |title=Widows of Vidarbha highlights the lesser-known perseverance of the wives of farmers who commit suicide |url=https://www.firstpost.com/living/widows-of-vidarbha-highlights-the-lesser-known-perseverance-of-the-wives-of-farmers-who-commit-suicide-4367853.html |access-date=19 September 2021 |work=Firstpost |date=February 26, 2018}} In a review for Feminism in India, Devanshi Varandani writes, "The 18 anecdotes in the book, in a subtle yet effective way, discusses 4 key topics: Identity crisis in the patriarchal society; the urgency of providing quality education to the young generation as an incumbent on the government. Next, the book stresses on the transition in the dreams and hopes of the family members after the demise of farmers. Lastly, the approach of the state and politics."{{cite news |last1=Varandani |first1=Devanshi |title=Book Review: Widows Of Vidarbha – Making Of Shadows By Kota Neelima |url=https://feminisminindia.com/2019/06/11/widows-of-vidarbha-kota-neelima-review/ |access-date=19 September 2021 |work=Feminism in India |date=June 11, 2019}} Aekta Kapoor writes in eShe, "The widows in Neelima’s book have learnt to protest in quiet ways, and avoid confrontation so as not to disturb the patriarchy. Theirs is a silent, subversive fight to get their due."{{cite news |last1=Kapoor |first1=Aekta |title=It's Near Impossible to Write the Woman's Whole Truth, Says Kota Neelima |url=https://eshe.in/2018/02/12/kota-neelima-widows-of-vidarbha/ |access-date=19 September 2021 |work=eShe |date=February 12, 2018}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://theprint.in/pageturner/excerpt/i-miss-him-so-much-the-collateral-damage-of-farmer-suicides-in-vidarbha/41152/ 'I miss him so much': The collateral damage of farmer suicides in Vidarbha] (book excerpt, ThePrint, March 12, 2018)
- [https://thewire.in/books/hope-and-other-temporary-things-the-story-of-a-widow-in-vidarbha Hope and Other Temporary Things: The Story of a Widow in Vidarbha] (book excerpt, The Wire, March 17, 2018)
Category:2018 non-fiction books
Category:21st-century Indian books
Category:Books about politics of India
Category:Books about human rights