Gold Sand, Gold Water

A river that once carried gold now bears the weight of memory and the struggles of those who call its banks home.

The Subarnarekha River shimmers with legend; once said to carry flecks of gold, it remains a source of both promise and hardship for those who live along its banks. In Gold Sand, Gold Water, Nalini Bera conjures a world where folklore and reality flow together, and forbidden love defies caste. Through the eyes of young Lolin, we witness the daily struggles of the Hatua people-part of the marginalized Adivasi and Dalit communities-as they navigate a world where ancient traditions are slowly being eroded by modern industry.

The novel paints an intimate, kaleidoscopic portrait of a vanishing way of life. Lyrical and haunting, Gold Sand, Gold Water is an essential addition to Bengali literature in translation-one that ensures these overlooked stories, like the river itself, continue to flow.