Contents: 1. Italo Calvino in Thrissur Express/Gita Hiranyan. 2. What mother ought to know/Gracy. 3. The Summons from God/Sithara S. 4. The perfect wife/K. Saraswathi Amma. 5. Smell of a bird/Madhavikutty. 6. Madness/BM Suhra. 7. Maanikkan/Lalithambika Antharjanam. 8. People's court/Chandramathi. 9. A world without Dushyantha and Bhima/P. Vatsala. 10. Matrimony/Sarah Joseph. 11. Black spots/Ashita. 12. The lost world/Rajalakshmi.

"Women outnumber men in classrooms, offices, bus stops, and almost everywhere in Kerala. And that is often touted as one of the unique features of the land, like its inland boat cruises, heritage tourism and high human development indices.

"But little is known of the regressive society that confronts Malayali women. Till the early decades of the last century, women had to leave their bosom bare. The society that celebrates C-grade titillating movies, recently witnessed the rape of a 70 percent burn victim in hospital.

"Predictably, the women writers of Malayalam have a lot to say, about themselves and their society. These short stories span almost a century of women writings between Lalithambika Antharjanam born in 1909 and the 26-year-old Sithara. From caste inequities to post modern cultural clashes, these 12 stories reflect the writers' sensibilities and social awareness, their attempts at reaching out to the world and delving deep within."  (jacket)