Distributed for Seagull Books
Gold Sand, Gold Water
A river that once carried gold now bears the weight of memory and the struggles of those who call its banks home.
The Subarnarekha River shimmers with legend; once said to carry flecks of gold, it remains a source of both promise and hardship for those who live along its banks. In Gold Sand, Gold Water, Nalini Bera conjures a world where folklore and reality flow together, and forbidden love defies caste. Through the eyes of young Lolin, we witness the daily struggles of the Hatua people—part of the marginalized Adivasi and Dalit communities—as they navigate a world where ancient traditions are slowly being eroded by modern industry.
The novel paints an intimate, kaleidoscopic portrait of a vanishing way of life. Lyrical and haunting, Gold Sand, Gold Water is an essential addition to Bengali literature in translation—one that ensures these overlooked stories, like the river itself, continue to flow.
The Subarnarekha River shimmers with legend; once said to carry flecks of gold, it remains a source of both promise and hardship for those who live along its banks. In Gold Sand, Gold Water, Nalini Bera conjures a world where folklore and reality flow together, and forbidden love defies caste. Through the eyes of young Lolin, we witness the daily struggles of the Hatua people—part of the marginalized Adivasi and Dalit communities—as they navigate a world where ancient traditions are slowly being eroded by modern industry.
The novel paints an intimate, kaleidoscopic portrait of a vanishing way of life. Lyrical and haunting, Gold Sand, Gold Water is an essential addition to Bengali literature in translation—one that ensures these overlooked stories, like the river itself, continue to flow.
Table of Contents
Publisher’s Note
Speech by the recipient of the Ananda Puraskar 2019
Chapter 1: The Forest of the Crying Ships
Chapter 2: The Golden Waters of the Subarnarekha
Chapter 3: The Boat People and the Ship People
Chapter 4: Robin Hood, Gandhi, and the Kama Sutra
Chapter 5: The Ghost of the Bhadu Tree
Chapter 6: The Ghost Bride
Chapter 7: Wheat Dam and Silk Cotton
Chapter 8: One Who Ate a Bullock and a Human
Chapter 9: Elephants, Invaders, and Old Mansions
Chapter 10: Hostel Horror
Chapter 11: The Lament of Bhramargarh
Chapter 12: The Sacred Thread and the Thievery
Chapter 13: The Passing of Anjanasundari
Chapter 14: The Woman Who Just Wouldn’t Cry
Chapter 15: The Battle of Boisakhi Paal
Chapter 16: Chhoto Pishi’s Mind
Chapter 17: First Time Outside the Familiar World
Chapter 18: Today is for Songs, This is the Time to Sing
Speech by the recipient of the Ananda Puraskar 2019
Chapter 1: The Forest of the Crying Ships
Chapter 2: The Golden Waters of the Subarnarekha
Chapter 3: The Boat People and the Ship People
Chapter 4: Robin Hood, Gandhi, and the Kama Sutra
Chapter 5: The Ghost of the Bhadu Tree
Chapter 6: The Ghost Bride
Chapter 7: Wheat Dam and Silk Cotton
Chapter 8: One Who Ate a Bullock and a Human
Chapter 9: Elephants, Invaders, and Old Mansions
Chapter 10: Hostel Horror
Chapter 11: The Lament of Bhramargarh
Chapter 12: The Sacred Thread and the Thievery
Chapter 13: The Passing of Anjanasundari
Chapter 14: The Woman Who Just Wouldn’t Cry
Chapter 15: The Battle of Boisakhi Paal
Chapter 16: Chhoto Pishi’s Mind
Chapter 17: First Time Outside the Familiar World
Chapter 18: Today is for Songs, This is the Time to Sing