"There have been no women in our part of the country whose names posterity found it worthwhile to cherish," writes Lalithambika Antherjanam (1909-1985) in "Come Back", her fictional account of an Indian woman activist's life. In
Cast Me Out If You Will
, however, Antherjanam's stories bring to life the experiences of women living at all levels of Indian society. From the faithful and devoted nanny of "Wooden Cradles" to the lonely young bride of "In the Moonlight", Antherjanam's characters are keenly observed and faithfully rendered. This unique collection of short stories and personal memoirs—a compilation representing half a century of writing and activism—is the ideal introduction to one of India's best-loved and foremost feminist authors.
Antherjanam was an early feminist of Kerala, at the tip of India's subcontinent, at the beginning of the 20th century. Her family was supportive, encouraging her education and writing, but as a Brahmin woman she was confined to seclusion until her marriage, fortunately arranged to a man sympathetic to her pursuit of women's rights. Antherjanam's stories offer clear-eyed and chilling testimony to the brutal oppression suffered by Indian women "cast out" if they dared to stray from enforced subjugation. At the same time, they celebrate their resilience, resistance, and vitality of these individuals. This volume includes a selection of her fiction and memoir, which captures early moments in India's nationalist and feminist movements.