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Description
Abandoned as a five-year-old near the India–Bangladesh border, Nimki finds refuge with the Senguptas of Kolkata as they provide her with shelter in return for helping with domestic chores. Only, refuge can never mean sanctuary. She yearns for the love and affection of Bina Ma, but always comes second best to Ira, her beloved daughter.
Constantly battling the anxieties of displacement and placelessness, Nimki chases her desires for a stable identity and a place to call home. Spanning nearly a decade of her life, across borderlands, this bildungsroman defies stereotypes of clean borders, homogenous nations and blood kin.
A staggeringly brilliant literary brilliant debut, Beyond Our Births is about the many arduous journeys one has to take before one is led to the discovery of the self. As in the end, we are what we become beyond our births.
Product details
| Published | 18 Aug 2026 |
|---|---|
| Format | Paperback |
| Edition | 1st |
| Pages | 272 |
| ISBN | 9789369520589 |
| Imprint | Bloomsbury India |
| Dimensions | 216 x 135 mm |
| Publisher | Bloomsbury Publishing |
About the contributors
Reviews
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'A novel that forces us to question what identity can mean when your very existence is questioned. This book makes you very, very uncomfortable.'
Arunava Sinha
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'Nimki's journey from girlhood to womanhood is also a journey of awakening to injustices and rebelling against them. It draws one in and leaves one with questions about our humanness and the nature of kindness.'
Anukrti Upadhyay
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'Beyond Our Births is an evocative read that explores identity, coming-of-age experiences, and most importantly, belongingness. For a people who are divided by make-believe borders, Nimki's journey becomes a metaphor to explore what liberation might really feel like, and how it may ironically involve crossing many borders – political and personal. In the often nihilistic and divided times that we live in, the book shines a light on the underlit path to self-actualisation.'
Samarth Mahajan
























