The Illuminated

The Illuminated is the debut novel of Anindita Ghose, a writer, journalist and editor based in Mumbai. It was published by 4th Estate HarperCollins in July 2021 in India and by Head of Zeus (Bloomsbury) internationally in January 2023.

Summary
The novel explores the relationships between a mother and her daughter and the men in their lives, set against the backdrop of a rising tide of religious fundamentalism in India. It employs the lunar motif as a literary device to establish an alternative perspective.

Reception
The novel received some favourable reviews in the press and has been featured on best fiction lists by The Telegraph, The Times of India, GQ India and Harper's Bazaar Australia.

In The Irish Independent, Anne Cunningham called it "An extremely elegant work, an interesting take on the universality of feminism from a uniquely Indian perspective."

The Straits Times called it a nuanced exploration of grief and identity.

The Scroll.in reviewed it as "perfectly timed" and "quietly, non-performatively political, exploring the possibilities of a world sliding into increasing iniquitousness."

The Financial Express described it as "audacious and assured" and "a gauntlet thrown down to the status quo."

The New Indian Express wrote in their review: "This book is also about loneliness in marriage, liberation in widowhood, sexual exploitation in academia, women in politics, and the confusing nature of desire, and the heartbreak of families spread out over continents."

Vangmayi Parakala in The Asian Age was critical and said: "The Illuminated tries too hard to be ‘The Novel of its Times’", describing various current events covered in the book, and concluding "the book is unable to give each one their duly deserved space for real depth or nuance."