Memories of Madhupur

"The stories are full of eclectic detail and eccentric personalities that created a rich, memorable world for a young boy transplanted from the metropolis of Calcutta." As the world moved to the next millennium, so naturally did Bihar, only in a more tumultuous way than most. The vignettes in this book will start you on that journey, describing many true incidents during the 1950s and ’60s which took place in a small town in what is today Jharkhand. By all standards, Samarendra Narayan Roy had an unusual childhood. Raised by his grandparents at Madhupur—his grandfather retired as a District Magistrate in India under the British Raj—he was homeschooled there till age twelve, learning Sanskrit, English, and Mathematics. Along with Jaydev, Tennyson, and Todhunter, he also imbibed mohua (a country liquor), local dialects and folklore as he was allowed to mix freely with the local tribals and other townspeople from varied walks of life. The result is a vivid picture of life in and around Madhupur, drawn with great humour and deep empathy by a brilliant mind with an extraordinary power of storytelling.