HEART LAMP Selected Stories

Deepti Gupta and Vikas Adam beautifully narrate the frustrations, joys, disappointments, and hopes of Muslim women and their families in 1990s India. In a dozen short stories, the characters deal with the pain of childbirth and the sweetness of motherhood, with romantic love and patriarchal oppression. Gupta effusively voices a variety of distinct and nuanced characters, female and male. Adam's lively performances deliver emotions ranging from irritation to tenderness and shame. Both narrators are clear and understandable throughout the stories, translated by Deepa Bhasthi into English with terms in Arabic, Urdu, and the original Kannada. Despite the profound themes, the performances and narratives include humor that makes them even more accessible. V.E.G. © AudioFile 2025, Portland, Maine [Published: DECEMBER 2025]