Freed From Disgrace

Set in Patna, the capital of Bihar, this novel by Phanishwar Nath Renu speaks of harsh contrary energies in the lives of women. In this city idealistic women who wish to secure opportunities for other women are pitted against not-so-idealistic women who wish to secure gross privileges for themselves. Bela, a former freedom fighter, administers a hostel for working women in the district of Bankipur. Betrayals and disappointment in love have deepened her selflessness, and she refuses to yield to a corrupt secretary of the board of trustees who wants to use the young boarders for her personal advancement in influencing government officials. In the countryside of Renu's novels, the dynamism of young pioneers wins out. Men figure in the narrative only as subsidiary characters, while unusually spirited women appear, with strong transformative powers.