For Linda, Aditi and Ranjit Mayadas whose house in Thul provided Anita Desai with many holidays and all the materials for this book.
A few of the Indian words in this story will not be explained by thier context and may be unfamiliar to young English readers. Often they have no direct English equivalent and i hope the following will therefore help you as you read.
BAI means mistress, or Mrs.
BHAI means brother.
A CHAPATI is a flat disc of unleavened bread.
A DHOTI is a garment worn by men in India, consisting of a piece of cloth wrapped around the lower half of the body and held at the waist.
DIWALI is the name of the Hindu festival of lights.
JAI means victory.
A JALEBI is a sweet made from sugar, flour and water.
A LAKH is one hundred thousand.
PUJA is a religious ceremony involving prayer.
RANGOLI are decorative patterns drawn on the ground with white or coloured powders.
A RUPEE here is roughly equivalent to sis pence.
YOU ARE READING
The village by the sea - Anita Desai
HumorI don't own this book The village by the sea is a book written by Anita Desai. She was born and educated in India. Her published works include adult novels, two collections of short stories and two books for children. She is a fellow of the Royal S...
