Now for a Tearful Smile — C. Radhakrishnan

This is a unique and poignant love story of two very special people living under assumed identities for different reasons; and also a thriller chasing the intriguing tentacles of espionage activities and the untold stories behind political assassinations in India. It is a poetical treatise that leaves the reader teary-eyed, hopeful and refreshed. The translator notes: "This landmark novel, a socio-political silhouette of contemporary India, is a poignant juxtaposition of materialism and spirituality, contemporary geopolitics and history in the making, India and the world, urban and tribal cultures, tragedy and comedy, saints and sinners, displacement and assimilation, cyanide tablets and self-healing, arms and man, war and peace, hospitals and hermitages... innumerable are the strands that form the warp and weft of this literary milestone. It thrills, threatens, moves, shocks, calms and exhilarates The catharsis I experienced after reading the original impelled me to seek the writer's permission and translate it for readers beyond borders, as all good things must be shared and joy multiplies in the process "