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The Sthory of Two Wimmin Kalyani and Dakshayani the vibrant paths of female friendship in the rural setting of north Malabar. It follows the lives of two rural women, Kalyani and Dakshayani, who rebel against patriarchy from a young age. At just six years old, Dakshayani boldly stands up to a schoolmaster who harasses her, shouting, "Rot in hell, you son of a bitch!" and walking out of school, with Kalyani following in solidarity.\n\nThroughout their lives, Kalyani and Dakshayani face numerous challenges and experiences of love and struggle, learning that while women may not have a native place, they always have each other. Rajashree's skillful narration pauses and plays through their moments of pain, struggle, and laughter, drawing strength for her own battle against societal constraints.\n\nThe story beautifully captures the bittersweet longing for one's homeland, the unique dialects of Malayalam, and the rich presence of animals and spirits. Rajashree's tale comes alive through Devika's magnificent and careful translation, making the experiences of Kalyani and Dakshayani deeply resonant and vividly real.
R. Rajasree was born in Parassinikkadavu in northern Kerala in 1977. She currently teaches at the Government Brennan College at Thalassery. She has a PhD in Malayalam and her early writing includes books on detective fiction and on the construction of female protagonists in Malayalam. Her first novel, titled KalyaaniyumDaakshaayaniyumEnnuPeraayaRanduSthreekalute Kata, wrote originally as a series of Facebook posts, was published in 2019. Hailed as an exciting new voice in Malayalam, it has subsequently won major literary awards in Malayalam, notably the Kerala Sahitya Akademi award (2021). <br> J DEVIKA is a feminist historian, social researcher and translator, currently with the Centre for Development Studies, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. She translates literary writing from Malayalam to English and social science writing from English to Malayalam. She has translated the literary writings of K.R. Meera, Sarah Joseph, Unni R., Ambikasuthan Mangad and Lalithambika Antharjanam, among others. Her website, www. swatantryavaadini.in, is a collection of translations of the writings of early twentieth-century feminists in Malayalam-speaking regions.
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