The Burmese Box: Two Novellas

Description

Aunt Podi's treasured Burmese box was a part of family history. When Panchu Mama narrates the hair-raising story of how it was acquired and the mysterious circumstances in which it got lost, Goopy decides to find the fabled box and its precious contents. 'The Burmese Box' is an action-packed story of a family on a treasure hunt, as they grapple with devious plans and nasty crooks, a highly suspicious detective and eccentric relatives. In 'Goopy's Secret Diary', con men, hidden treasures, a stolen necklace and the secret of an old mansion make for a fascinating read as we follow Goopy's rollicking adventures in a forest. Featuring two novellas, The Burmese Box is beloved children's author Lila Majumdar at her best. Her impeccable style and trademark humour will keep generations of readers in thrall.

Born on 26 February 1908, Lila Majumdar grew up in Shillong and Kolkata and went on to do a Master's in English from Calcutta University. At the request of poet Rabindranath Tagore, she taught briefly at Shantiniketan before settling down with a dental surgeon. It was only after her marriage that her literary career took off, and she never looked back, writing more than one hundred and twenty books. She has won many awards for her works, including the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1963 for a comic musical drama called Bok Badh Pala (Death of the Demon Bok). Her autobiography Aar Kono Khaney (Somewhere Else) won the Rabindra Puroshkar in1968, and Haldey Pakhir Palok (The Yellow Bird) received the Bengal state award for children's literature in 1960. She celebrated her ninety-ninth birthday in 2007 and died the same year on 5 April.