As the Ganga Flows: A translation of Sarat Chandra Chatterjee's novella Chandranath

Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay (Chatterjee) is the "most popular, translated, and adapted Indian author of all time" (Wikipedia). The novella demonstrates why he's considered a master storyteller with a flair for probing the human psyche. An educated, wealthy man marries a poor, beautiful girl. Happy years end up in grave misfortune. The homeless, pregnant girl contemplates suicide. A poor pensioner, a chess-obsessed Brahmin who rarely visits the temple and barely performs daily rituals, shows unexpected human dignity. He gives her shelter and raises her son as a foster grandchild. When the tides turn again, the old man is alone again. The final chapter is haunting, where obsession, love, despair, and solitude tangle together. Older readers can relate to the universal phenomenon - countless adults have showered affection on the young, only to see them grow up and fly away. And younger readers will sense how things look from the other side. The book also has 14 Indian paintings, which suit the mood and subject.