Anu The Raj Years

Illustrated throughout with old photographs, the story starts at the point of a child's birth during the freedom campaign in India. The book, a true story, describes a woman's extraordinary life to the point of Independence for her country. Although it follows one person, the book shows the culture, the food and the way of life in India during the raj years in a colourful and eloquent way.

Anu was born during the British raj, when the struggle for Indian Independence was well under way. As an Indian Christian, her upbringing was influenced by both British and Indian values.

By the time she joined the prestigious Allahabad University most students were caught up in the freedom movement, led by the city's famous Nehru family. After graduation she was involved in Mahatma Gandhi's Basic Education programme, designed to bring literacy to the masses.

This, the first part of Anu's story, covers her single years, dominated by national events, World War II and the horrors of Partition. Anu's marriage, after Independence, took her as far away from her roots as she could go.

But that's another story...