The Mirror Knows the Truth and Other Stories by KUSUM ANSAL

People feel that the position I have acquired, after transcending painful memories, is full of happiness. I am happy, married to a rich and successful doctor. I have two adorable children and servants. Status, dignity, prestige I lack nothing. But…my heart is not in my surroundings and I don’t seem to know why. An eclectic collection, The Mirror Knows the Truth and Other Stories offers a kaleidoscopic range of human emotions, from love, longing and loneliness, to the discrimination faced by the minorities within society. It Was My Day poignantly describes the marriage anniversary of a middle-aged woman, spent aching for a gesture of affection from her ever-busy husband, ‘The Pigeon Story’ chronicles the various discriminations and the general lack of empathy among people, as perceived by the birds, and, in the title story, a mirror faithfully records the goings-on in an affluent, upper-caste family which adopts Kalyani, a girl from a lower caste and raises as a daughter. Evocative, sensitive and nuanced, The Mirror Knows the Truth and Other Stories is a compelling exploration of the myriad complexities of the human psyche. Key Features: An evocative, sensitive and nuanced collection of stories that compellingly explore the myriad complexities of the human psyche. Fleshed out and rounded characters from different strata of society whom the readers would have encountered at some point in real life. The Mirror Knows the Truth and Other Stories is a powerful collection that deals with important themes of love, identity, relationships and self-discovery.