The Indian Diary of Vera Luboshinsky

The Indian Diary of Vera Luboshinsky is a creative, lively, and often irreverent account of wartime India, narrated by a Russian émigrée from Czechoslovakia navigating multiple worlds and possibilities as she and her husband sought their livelihood in princely Bhopal. The elegant translation in this book is framed by a rich introduction and careful editorial work to make a unique voice accessible to history. Replete with social, cultural, and political observations, it is a compelling work inviting exploration by historians of Princely states first and foremost, but also any reader interested in the multitude of themes discussed -- from marriage rituals, employment practices, and leisure activities to food, education, and spirituality. * Siobhan Lambert-Hurley, Professor of Global History, Departmental Director of Research and Innovation, University of Sheffield * The authors skilfully edited and beautifully translated the diaries of Vera Luboshinsky from Russian, allowing access to a rare non-Anglophone, non-male gaze in high colonial India. It is a series of astute sketches of India, details at the court in the Princely state of Bhopal, and vignettes of colonial society. These are seamlessly strung together in this work, which may only be called a memoir in the most liberal sense. Written in crisp language, the text retains the complex tone of awe, irony, privilege, and sympathy for various characters through the book. An absolute must-read for all interested in colonial history, particularly of the Princely state of Bhopal, but also for those interested in the quirky destinies of individuals, and manuscripts! * Pushkar Sohoni, Associate Professor of Humanities and Social Sciences in the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune *