A young woman who trusted snakes more than she trusted people. Another who had a nickname at every stage of her short, mysterious life. A school teacher who pined for children, a semi-scholar who saw himself as a man of the world. An old man who won't let his dead child go. Life in Gunawada, a village in India. These are the tales of people in transition, stories of rites of passage, tales of beliefs questioned and unquestioned. Remembered events, vaguely recovered memories, and musings - they all affect the life of villagers. Then there is a wealthy, learned man, who leaves it all and becomes a mendicant. What drove him to it? A humble, pious man loses his grip on reality and his obligations to the dead. How does he get back to being himself? A lady who is as old as time itself, who sees the future, and foretells it all. People who live in these stories are an odd group; they are resilient inside-outsiders. Each story is like a candy bird fresh out of its wooden mold. Together, they recall a unique place in a special, bygone time. Is the village of Gunawada an especially accursed one, or is it typical of its kind? The people of the village are unique, diverse, and colorful. They live in their own time, in their own mind and circumstance.
>Like sugar parrots, they are sweet, but they melt away too soon. So prepare to be like the little boys and girls of Gunawada. String up the birds, wear them as a necklace, and always have one handy to nibble on.