Grit and resilience of hill folk

Nitin Jugran Bahuguna is a freelance journalist based in New Delhi and Dehradun, with over 30 years of work experience in the field of communications, specialising in development issues like gender, health, child rights and environment. Comet In The Village is her first book.

When did the idea for the book germinate?
During my various travels to the villages of Uttarakhand, I was struck by the resilience of the people who lived on hills, especially the women. The mountain communities face excruciating hardships due to cloudbursts and landslides. Despite these tough challenges, they continue to survive with grit and determination. This is a side of Uttarakhand not always visible to many. I have tried to capture some of the issues which affect the mountain communities. At the end of the day, my story is about celebrating life and woman power.

One fictional character close to your heart and why?
V.I. Warshawski created by Sara Paretsky as she is fiercely independent and a gutsy street fighter. Her karate skills and sarcastic tongue keep her a step ahead of her detractors. She is a champion of the downtrodden and oppressed.

Book that you keep revisiting?
Little Women series by Louisa May Alcott. The books remind me of a simpler time with strong family and human values.

Ending of one popular book that you would have changed?
The conclusion of the Harry Potter series, book 7, set 19 years after the climax, in which the main protagonists have been packed off into matrimonial boredom.

A surprisingly trite ending by a gifted story teller! As a diehard Potter fan, I was disappointed by Rowling’s correct and tidy ending, turning Harry into a middle-aged father of three. I would have left him as he was after the victory over Voldemort — young, impetuous and maybe one day wielding his wand again against evil!