Monsoon Showers in Goa and The Mythical Mermaid (Two Novellas)

Translated by Sujata Patnaik of Balivadas two novels,  Love in Goa and Matsyagandhi.

Monsoon Showers (orig: Love in Goa) is a gripping saga of two star-crossed lovers thrown together by destiny in Goa, the last Portuguese bastion in India.  The Goan way of life, their Portuguese legacy, festivities and cuisine, adherence to honesty, coupled with their happy-go-lucky attitude finds expression in this romance novel.

The Mythical Mermaid (orig: Matsyagandhi) is a poignant tale of human frailties, love and betrayal woven against the backdrop of the lives of the Koli fisherfolk living in the west coast of India.  Soni, the protagonist is torn between the passionate love for her impoverished lover and her unflinching duty towards her father.  She faces a tragic end when the truth of her father’s last moments draws on her.

Sujata Patnaik is the daughter of Balivada Kantha Rao.  She taught English in a college in Orissa until her retirement in 2019.  Widely traveled in India and abroad, her short stories, travelogues, and various essays have been published in several English magazines in India. She has translated an anthology of short stories of her fathers titled, “The Secret of Contentment and Other Telugu Stories”.

Only a sample is provided here.  To order a hard copy of this book,  please visit:

www.sahitya-akademi.gov.in