Mira and the Mahatma

‘A brilliantly woven narrative, with facts as the warp and imagination as the weft . . . Kakar's is a marvellous effort to peel away the layers surrounding Gandhi'—Hindu It is 1925 and India's struggle for independence is in disarray, impeded by factionalism among its leaders and rising incidents of communal disharmony across the country. Meanwhile, having withdrawn himself from active politics, Bapu—Mahatma Gandhi—is in the Sabarmati ashram in Gujarat, immersed in the creation of an ideal community that is dedicated to the highest standards of self-discipline, tolerance and austerity. Into this world comes Madeleine Slade, the daughter of a British admiral, who has set her heart on becoming Bapu's greatest disciple. Bapu embraces her into the fold and, as she becomes an indispensable part of the ashram and his life, renames her Mira after Mirabai, the legendary devotee of Krishna. But it is not long before Mira's all-consuming desire to serve Bapu transforms into a desperate need to be close to him at all times and clashes head-on with the exacting moral and spiritual codes he has laid down for himself and those around him. And as the self-doubting Mahatma, seeking to distance himself from Mira yet loath to let go of her love, wrestles with his inner phantoms, Mira's life begins to take another dramatic turn . . .