An extraordinary memoir from one of Tamil Nadu’s most acclaimed novelists

The great Tamil novelist Jeyamohan came from the region of Tamil Nadu that originally belonged to Travancore (in Kerala), and grew up in a unique, syncretic culture straddling two distinct worlds.

In this memoir, originally written in Malayalam, he draws a vivid picture of his family which followed the matriarchal family systems of Kerala. He especially focuses on his powerful mother and grandmother, who pitted their wills against and were constantly at odds with his abusive father. Moving between the stories of his parents’ marriage, his often-unhappy childhood, falling in love and becoming a writer, Jeyamohan also tells the story of the region he comes from, stretching the form of the memoir from family to history.

Beautifully written and profoundly imagined, Of Men, Women and Witches is another masterwork from this great novelist.

About the Author