New books on the shelves

A claustrophobic millennial marriage, an 18th-century warrior queen, the history of patriarchy, and much more. Soft Animal Meenakshi Reddy Madhavan Penguin India Rs.399 With deadpan humour and pointed observation of the self-delusions of India’s urban middle class, Meenakshi Reddy Madhavan’s latest novel presents an intimate experience of millennial marriage. In this story set in March 2020, the protagonist Mallika Rao’s claustrophobia is caused as much by the lockdown as by her marriage.. Moms in the Wild Nidhi Raichand HarperCollins India Rs.350 Sneha Talwar is a reporter on an assignment to profile Natasha Babani, environmental activist and mommy-influencer, who has spent the last year cleaning up a polluted lake. Laline Paull explores the meaning of belonging and sacrifice within an ocean that, in no longer being the sanctuary it once was, reflects our world.. Warrior Queen of Sivaganga: The Legend of Rani Velu Nachiyar Shubendra Pan Rs.399 When the king of Sivaganga is murdered, his queen consort, Rani Velu Nachiyar, flees to the wilderness but soon emerges from the shadows to put up a fierce fight with her army of guerrilla women fighters. The Patriarchs: How Men Came to Rule Angela Saini Fourth Estate Rs.699 Award-winning science journalist Angela Saini searches for the true roots of what we call patriarchy, uncovering a complex history of how male domination first became embedded in societies and spread across the globe from prehistory into the present.. Caged Tiger: How Too Much Government Is Holding Indians Back Subhashish Bhadra Bloomsbury Rs.799 Leaders come and go, but institutions stay forever.