These are stories of eighteen strong women who daily resist the
suffocation of conformity. They are fighters of their circumstances and
winners, brave and determined in their refusal to accept conventional
limitations and courageous in their acceptance of the consequences. For them
every day is a challenge; for their relationships and social expectations
conspire to encroach upon their private spaces, erode their dignity and
identity. Yet rooted in their cultural milieu, they make their choices, fight
for it and succeed.
Much of author Meera Khanna’s voluntary work is in the field of
gender rights, which has perhaps honed her skill to spot the unique story of an
empowered woman. Many of these stories are inspired by real life incidents and
some by newspaper reports. Covering a wide social spectrum, some of these
women break a stereotype with a drastic action. And there are some who without
rippling the waters ostensibly carve a space for themselves. Presented in lucid
language, with their own twists and turns in events and characters, the stories
meander along unbeaten tracks, striking hard at the reader’s soul.