'Brinda Charry is the real thing, a master at the top of her game. Her work engages the human condition and the personal with an intensity and authority that can only be explained by literary grace.' – Arthur R. Flowers When a new family moves in next door, a young girl finds herself falling in love for the first time ever. As she jealously attempts to keep the object of her love to herself, she moves deeper into a web of imagination and deceit and further away from the innocence of childhood. The warmth and intimacy of this moving tale also enriches 'Mallika', the story of a little boy and girl who are fascinated with their neighbour, a eunuch; 'The Secret', the escapades of a middle-aged bachelor who yearns for some excitement in his life and finds it in marriage; 'The Pied Piper of Hamelin', an unusual take on the popular folktale, and the other stories in this unforgettable collection from southern India.