The Better Half : Mothers, Sisters, Wives and Homemakers/Sumati Karmakar. New Delhi, Dominant, 2001, vi, 309 p., $33. ISBN 81-7888-005-9.

Contents: Preface. 1. Strength of sisterhood and togetherness. 2. Another struggle for freedom. 3. Gender economics: some are more equal. 4. Working women: force of sustained labour. 5. Divided sisterhood: two forms of toil. 6. Working together: the common cause. 7. Other people’s homes: the domestic helps. Appendix.

"Women has been at the centre of all social activities for centuries, as sisters, mothers, and wives. They are, above all, homemakers, the central pillar around which every stable, prosperous and happy family revolves. Thus, the relationship that women form and nurture have great significance for all members of the family. The present compendium of materials on various aspects of women’s relationships and their place in society is an attempt to present to the reader a sharp but accurate profile of the problems and solutions to the modern day gender conflict. Of particular interest are the papers on working women, specially significant because of the increasing number of the women who are both workers at home and outside." (jacket) No. 21473

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