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Reviewed by Kimberlee J Benart for Readers' Favorite
Silhouettes of Time is a collection of short stories by Dr. Maya Mitra Das with a foreword by Janice De Jesus. There are eleven stories, though the longest is divided into five parts. Most of the stories hearken to Dr. Das’s homeland and include reminiscences of her family members, the struggle for Indian independence, the religious animosity and violence which led to partition, and the glory of a Himalayan sunrise. One is set in America in the racially intolerant 1920s and tells a tender story of star-crossed but forbidden romance. Another is set in northern Italy in the early 1600s during the struggle between the Catholic Church and the intellectuals of the Renaissance. Three are dreamlike, mystical encounters with classical music, nature, and otherworldly life.
In Silhouettes of Time, Dr. Maya Mitra Das gives us an impressive debut collection of short stories which are varied in topic, theme, and setting. The narrative is wonderfully descriptive whether unfolding a scene, action, or character. You can see the colors, smell the fragrances, and feel the emotions that vary from peaceful, contemplative, and romantic to fearful. My favorite story is the one that gives the book its title. In parts that move back and forth in chronology, it describes a man named Arun, introduced in 1946 as the builder of a “peace camp” which provides refuge to Hindu victims of Muslim brutality. But Arun’s life is only beginning, and his courage, intelligence, toughmindedness, and perseverance in some ways represent the story of modern India itself. An engaging collection.
