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Anita Desai (born June 24, 1937, Mussoorie, India) is an English-language Indian novelist and author of children’s books who excels in evoking character and mood through visual images ranging from the meteorologic to the botanical. Born to a German mother and Bengali father, Desai grew up speaking German, Hindi, and English. She received a B.A. in English from the University of Delhi in 1957. The suppression and oppression of Indian women were the subjects of...