Babu o Barbonita : Hariye Jaowa Khunira Vol 2 by Debarati Mukhopadhyay [Hardcover]

Babu and Barboniṭa is the second installment in the Hariye Jaowa Khunira series. This book features two non-fiction novels, one set in 1881 and the other in 1936, but both share the same backdrop: the infamous red-light district of Sonagachhi in Kolkata.

The first novel thrillingly narrates how a barmaid named Trailokyatarini from Sonagachhi became a serial killer in 1881. The second novel revolves around a notorious thug from North Kolkata in 1936, who was simultaneously a villain responsible for numerous murders and robberies and a ‘Robin Hood’ of Sonagachhi, exploring the terror instilled by his dual identity.

Additionally, the book delves into the Babu culture of the 19th century and the societal structure of Sonagachhi during that period, discussed throughout the chapters of both novels.