Burnt Sugar

Set against the vivid backdrop of Pune, India, Avni Doshi's 'Burnt Sugar' (published as 'Girl in White Cotton' in the US) is a searing, unsparing exploration of the complex, often toxic, bond between mother and daughter. Antara, a struggling artist and new mother, finds her life upended when her estranged mother, Tara, begins to show signs of memory loss. This potential decline forces Antara to confront a traumatic past, filled with Tara's unconventional choices, from abandoning a conventional marriage for an ashram to engaging in manipulative behaviors. As Antara grapples with caring for the woman who she feels both loves and resents, she questions the very nature of memory, truth, and love. The narrative is a sharp, psychological unraveling of generational trauma, obsession, and betrayal, told with a biting wit that belies its emotional depth, leaving readers to wonder who is truly the victim and who the perpetrator in this entangled relationship.