'Personal revelations, dreams and recollections, letters and memoirs are woven together in this complex novel of human relationships. With the flow of the narrative, with its many layers and nuances, a panoramic view of Bengal, past and present, is revealed. A truly riveting read? Sharmila Tagore?A masterful novel which weaves its magic across the warp and weft of intertwined stories. At once tender and brutal, this evocative and richly layered narrative draws sustenance from the harsh contours of reality and the compulsions of the human heart? Namita Gokhale?A splendid tapestry of stories deftly woven with compassion and flair; Suralakshmi Villa is a heart-warming read? Kunal BasuSuralakshmi Choudhury, a gynaecologist based in Delhi, falls in love at the age of thirty-one, marries and has a son. Suddenly, five years after his birth, she abandons everything including the house gifted to her by her father and her flourishing medical career, to travel to an obscure village in Bengal and open a free clinic for women and children. She leaves her son behind but takes along a poor Muslim girl, she has adopted. What makes her take this strange decision?Suralakshmi?s actions confound her relatives and it is from their accounts of the incidents, letters, memoirs, and flashbacks ? from a more distant past ? that the story comes together and the layers and nuances in the enigmatic character of Suralakshmi are brought to light.In Suralakshmi Villa, Aruna Chakravarti blends the narrative of the novel with history, legend, music, religion, folklore, rituals and culinary practices of both Hindus and Muslims, and creates a fascinating tapestry which reveals the syncretic nature of Bengal and her people.