The Road Less Travelled : The Life and Writings of Vinodinee Neelkanth

"Vinodinee Neelkanth, whose life spanned most of the twentieth century (1907-1987), was in today\'s language an empowered woman who lived her life according to her own beliefs and convictions. Born into one of the leading reformist families of Gujarat, she made bold and unconventional choices in her life and she began writing in 1928. Whereas her essays are milestones in Gujarati literature, her short stories and novel focused mainly on women. Most of her journalistic writings aimed at encouraging women to speak up for themselves. Insofar as she strove to give women a sense of identity, she may be regarded as a precursor of feminist literature of Gujarat.

The first part of the volume is a brief biography of Vinodinee Neelkanth, placing her life and writing in a historical perspective. Part two consists of translations of selected pieces of here writings from all genres, giving an insight into the social change Vinodinee was attempting to bring about. The volume will be of interest not only to students and scholars of gender and feminist studies and sociology, but also the general reader."