The queen of the waters

Koni: The story of a champion (Hachette, Rs 195) has been translated into English from Moti Nandy’s original work in Bengali. It chronicles the life of ‘Koni’ — a talented swimmer — who survives penury, competition and discrimination to taste success in her career. In this unequal battle, Koni is assisted by her able coach, Kshitish Sinha, who dreams of making her a champion swimmer. Ultimately, Koni wins the coveted championship, thereby proving that the human spirit can triumph against great odds. Nandy’s portrayal of a Calcutta of a different time is realistic. He also documents the trials and tribulations of swimmers and swimming clubs with care. Sumana Mukherjee, the translator, does enough to retain the flair of the original. An added bonus is the Introduction by Sriparna Mukherjee, who had acted as Koni in the film based on Nandy’s book.

Road to Commonwealth Games 2010 (Penguin, Rs 199) by Sunil Yash Kalra is a timely and important book that attempts to expose “the reality” behind the tall claims being made about the Commonwealth Games. Kalra provides details of this humongous project, delving into the nitty-gritty of planning and preparedness. He recounts how Delhi won the bid to host the event, provides a comprehensive list of the stakeholders involved as well as the state of the city’s infrastructure. Significantly, an entire chapter has been devoted to examine whether the Games would generate adequate employment opportunities. Immaculately researched, the book offers a refreshingly different view of the “biggest sports extravaganza” in India’s history.

The Red Devil: To hell with cancer — and Back (Tranquebar, Rs 275) by Katherine Russell Rich is a personal account by a brave woman who fought and won against a debilitating medical condition. Katherine R. Rich, a 32-year-old magazine editor, is newly divorced with a demanding career. But her world falls apart, once again, when she is diagnosed with breast cancer. From then on, it is a slow, uphill climb, each day spent battling fear, an excruciating medical regime and utter hopelessness. Rich’s prose is perfectly ordinary, but what is remarkable is that she chooses to look back on the toughest period of her life with candour and wit.