Like her fiction, Shashi Deshpandes essays hold a universal appeal, even when firmly entrenched in the social realities of our everyday life and grappling with issues that are particularly Indian. Some of the finest pieces in this collection deal with language and writing: the prickly and often acrimonious issue of English, the deep and unfortunate divide between English and the regional languages, the importance and necessity of translations, the compulsions of the global market on literature, a writers obligation to self-censorship, the moral vision that underscores all good writing, the unshakable worth of readers and much more. There are also essays in which Shashi Deshpande talks about her own craft, how each one of her novels took shape, going into particulars and readily sharing confidentialities so that readers will experience the same intimacy they encounter in her novels.Much of her writing is shaped by the fact that she is a woman. With unflinching honesty she clearly articulates the difficulties of writing as a politically aware woman, touching upon matters of contention such as gender, feminism, marginalization and the relevance of reworking myths. Thought-provoking and engaging, this collection showcases, for the first time, the broad sweep of Deshpandes non-fiction writing.