SIX AND A THIRD ACRES: A NOVEL (PB)

Six and a third Acres was the
first modern Odia novel, and has remained at the heart of Odin literary
excellence ever since. It was published as Chha Mana atha guntha in the
literary monthly Utkal Sahitya between 1897?99. Over a century after it was
first published, this sombre tale continues to attract readers because of
fakir Mohan senapati?s innovative technique, indelible characters, wit,
imagination, and tremendous insights into the rural milieu. The novel is
about village politics, caste oppression, malpractices, and land-grabbing
under the zamindari system in colonial Odisha. Ramchandra mangaraj, a sly
zamindar of the village of govindpur, is notorious for taking over the lands
of poor peasants and farmers. This time, his avaricious gaze falls on a small
patch of land?six and a third acres?belonging to a humble, god-fearing weaver
couple. Unable to fight the zamindari devious schemes, the couple succumbs to
the harsher realities of caste-ridden village life. This exceptional new
translation by leelawati Mohapatra, Paul st-pierre & K. K. Mohapatra
breathes new life into one of the most brilliant novels in Indian literature.