Pitali Nondvahi

Devaki Jain’s memoir, originally published in English as The Brass Notebook and translated into Marathi as Pitali Nondvahi, makes a significant contribution to autobiographical literature. Its importance lies not merely in presenting the life story of a remarkably courageous, candid and energetic individual, but also in bringing before us a vast social and cultural landscape.

The vivid imagery and experiential journey of the original English work have been rendered with equal effectiveness in Alka Garud’s Marathi translation. Devaki Jain’s life journey has been enriched by her experiences across Karnataka, Delhi and Oxford, as well as through encounters with numerous countries, languages and cultures around the world.

Her academic journey was equally remarkable, marked by outstanding scholarships, fellowships and honours. She later married Lakshmichand Jain, a committed Gandhian thinker.

Devaki Jain embodies many remarkable identities: an intellectually gifted university student; a woman conducting research in economics; an analyst who has studied women’s lives in depth; an intellectual who challenged existing feminist perspectives by proposing new arguments and theories; and a person who maintained her balance while rebelling against conventions without abandoning her rebellious spirit. She was also a passionate wife and mother, a woman who thought beyond established boundaries even while living within them, an active individual who never surrendered her optimism or enthusiasm, and a creative writer who painted a reflective portrait of her life on the canvas of words at the age of 87.

Alka Garud has preserved the vivid colours of this life and its expansive canvas with remarkable sensitivity. Her translation is so powerful and fluent that one could almost believe Devaki Jain herself had written the Marathi version of The Brass Notebook. It is not merely a translation but a creative re-creation that captures the spirit of the original.

For activists involved in the women’s movement, particularly those working within Marathi society and addressing the realities of women’s lives, Devaki Jain’s book and Alka Garud’s translation will prove deeply enlightening and thought-provoking.

— Kumar Ketkar