Pitridugdha by Subodh Sarkar [Hardcover]

A language is born in Mesopotamia. At a time when river water is the greatest form of transportation, a woman is taken from the jaws of a lion and becomes the legend of a community. Yet, beyond everything, this novel turns into a dialogue of love. In the dawn of civilization, a bold elderly man abandons his long-time companion and sets out with his companion’s lost daughter. At this point, humans have not yet learned the concept of marriage. In a passionate embrace, a father-like man and the girl become entangled. This leads to a war between two tribes. With murder, plunder, and sexual jealousy, human civilization begins.

In his first prose novel, poet Subodh Sarkar raises the question - does the beginning of civilization lie in maternal milk, or paternal milk? This novel is, in essence, a philosophical inquiry that stretches across time to the modern age.