Shanta Dutta Roy's collection of poems behind the smile touches upon issues of women's identity, dreams of the marginalised, the current political scene around the globe and nature in all its beauty. The imagery is stark and sombre at times, at others It is vivid and pictorial. One finds a lot of sensitivity in her delineation of everyday reality. This book captures the imagination of the readers in a subtle and a compassionate manner. Behind the smile invites you to explore various facets of life in a candid way.