Delhi Metropolitan: The Making of an Unlikely City

Where do I begin? This books unlocked the contemporary history of a city I lived in all my life. Delhi to me was an experience felt viscerally, without reflection, until the lid was blown off by books and blogs (Delhi Walla) like this. Villages like Hauz Khaz, Munirka, Khirki are all represented here and an account of their history, daily life and social fabric is given. There are several other phenomenon (un)covered, like colonies, resettlement, Lutyen's Delhi; the stuff of immigrant lore we were steeped in on our grandparent's knees if they had moved here during the partition. The city's culture and social fabric stretches far beyond the resettled family's collective memory of post partition Delhi. I'm going to read this book, re-read it, then pore over it's bibliography and the next time I'm home, I'll savor more than the street food.