This voluminous anthology is of immense significance to women and men, and for the younger generation of research scholars and readers. It goes beyond the confines of Tamil Nadu to the Indian diaspora settled in the advanced economies of western nations such as UK, USA, Canada and Europe, and the Middle East such as Dubai, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and closer to home, Singapore, Malaysia and Sri Lanka. In terms of the time span, it has a three-pronged impact—an archival value, and then a shift in contemporary times, leaving a record for posterity. It should be prescribed for Gender Studies in university departments and included in NCERT and NBT textbooks. Each story is preceded by a detailed profile of the author.
For Professor R Prema, a feminist scholar, getting to know women through their writings is a quest that goes well beyond collecting stories to fit into a standard template for feminist writings. Her selections show new developments and trends that helped in the growth of women as people.