The Stepmother and other stories

Laxmibai Abhyankar's stories are full of hope for the future, also of regret and tragedy. The stories in this collection are set amidst the evolving political dynamics of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, in the Bombay Presidency and the Deccan States. They inspire readers to adopt progressive thinking and support social transformation. In easy style, the stories tell us about the lives of ordinary men and women, living in conservative Maharashtrian homes, bound by the rigidity of orthodoxy and traditional mores.

The patriarchs, matriarchs, the educated women and men are Laxmibai's heroes. She urges them to lead by personal example by providing protection, dignity and education to women and children within their families and to the disadvantaged. Her authorial interventions bring the reader closer to the narrative. She lets her diverse cast of characters speak for themselves. The dialogues and debates, on political developments or on the merits and demerits of social reforms, bring alive the stories, letting readers hear both sides of the argument.