Book Review: ‘The Only City’ by Anindita Ghose

Book Title: The Only City: Bombay In Eighteen Stories
Author and Editor: Anindita Ghose
Publisher: Fourth Estate India
Number of Pages: 352
ISBN: 978-9369893256
Date Published: Oct. 24, 2025
Price: INR 477

Book Review

Anindita Ghose’s “The Only City: Bombay in Eighteen Stories” unfolds as a radiant tribute to one of India’s most unforgettable cities. Through eighteen distinctive and contemporary voices, the anthology captures Bombay in all its layered glory—its soaring ambitions, its quiet heartbreaks, and its constant hum of possibility. From street children and bar dancers to artists, dreamers, and migrants, each story opens a window into lives that feel intimate and universal at once. Romance, humour, grit, and shadow blend effortlessly, echoing the city’s own restless, ever-evolving pulse.

The strength of the book lies in the effortless way diverse narratives sit together, each enriching the portrait of a metropolis that refuses to stand still. Ghose’s editorial vision creates room for tender moments and sharp truths, for the unexpected warmth that lies within everyday chaos. The accompanying photographs deepen the experience, turning every page into a sensory journey through neighbourhoods where memory and hope coexist in vivid colour.

“The Only City” rises far beyond a simple set of stories—it becomes an affectionate tribute to Bombay’s resilience, its contradictions, and its fiercely beating heart. It nudges readers to pause, listen, and rediscover a city that reinvents itself daily while retaining its timeless allure.

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For anyone who wishes to understand Bombay not just as a place but as an emotion, this anthology offers an unforgettable path in.

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