The central objective of the present book is to discuss the theoretical investigations carried okut by Indian women writers in their works and to arrive at a deeper understanding of feminist contentions. Fiction by women constitutes a major segment of the contemporary Indian Writing in English. It provides insights,a wealth of understanding,a reservoir of meanings and a basis of discussion. The feminst literary critics strongly believe that women must create a literature of their own, in which feminine sensibility could consider and confront the peculiarly feminine issues and experiences. This book discusses major Indian women writers,including Anita Desai, Nayantara Sahgal,Shashi Deshpande, Rama Mehta, Arundhati Roy, Manju Kapur, Kamala Das, Mahasweta Devi,who have given a gfraphic picture of Indian woman in their works,. The conflcit betwwn tradition and modernity finds a prominent place in the portrayal of women. The new woman ;depicted in these works refuses to conform to age-old traditions and truly represents the Indian culture that is at the cross-roads of transition,today.The volume,it is hoped, will be of immense use to students and scholars committed to Indian Literature and Women's Studies. About Author : Alessandor Monti is Professor of English Literature and Language at the university of Turin,Italy. He is a perceptive ;critic and erudite scholar. His areas of specialization include Postcolonial Literatures and Indian Writing in English. He has published articles and books on a wide range of sunjects. Currently,he is working on his new book entitled Indian Masculinities across the Ages,a collection of papers presented at an international conference,held at the University of Turin.R.k> Dhawan teaches English at S.B.S. College, University of Delhi. He obtained M.Litt. In ;Comparative Literature and Ph.D. on the fiction of Joseph Conrad. In 1979, he visited Oxford University and other universities in the U.K. as a British Council scholar. He has lectured extensively at many universities, including those at Sri Lanka, Bangladesh,Singapore,Tusisia,Italy and Australia, He has published several articles and books. He is the Editor of The Commnowealth Revies,a biannual journal devoted to the new literatures. Contents : PrefaceDiscussing Indian Women Writers: Some Feminist IssuesMad " Aunties" and "MDI" wmen :Dancing away Their MemoriesWomen's Urge for Expression :The Indian ;Woman,the Body and the Flesh:The Poetry of Protest :Awakening of an Apolitical MotherTribulation or RedemptionQuestions without Answer :Disorienting Orient :Exploring Possibilities Beyond TraditionsNine Sketches Intrerpreting ;Human Maladies :Jhumpa Lahiri and Intrerpreter of MaladiesA Challenge to 'Third World ' Women's StatusPartition and Women Writers:A Sikh-Canadian View of Partition :"Many Souls, Many Voices":Becoming Women:Contributors