Bianca, or, The Young Spanish Maiden (1878) is a novel by Toru Dutt.
Published the year after her death at the age of 21, Bianca, or, The
Young Spanish Maiden is a heartfelt work of romance by a pioneering
figure in Indian history and Bengali literature.
"A funeral procession was winding slowly up the path; two mourners
followed the coffin; the church yard was in a lonely place; so there
were no half-curious, half-sympathising people following. It was the
daughter of Alonzo Garcia a foreign gentleman residing in England, his
eldest daughter and his most loved; the youngest was by his side,
Bianca."
Inspired by her time in England, Toru Dutt tells the story of a young
girl mourning the loss of her beloved sister Inez. Tragic and timeless,
Bianca, or, The Young Spanish Maiden investigates themes of faith,
family, and courtship while illuminating the experience of a young
foreigner living in England. Born in Calcutta to a family of Bengali
Christians, Toru Dutt was raised at the crossroads of English and Indian
cultures. In addition to her native Bengali, she became fluent in
English, French, and Sanskrit as a young girl, eventually writing novels
and poems in each language. Despite her limited body of work, Dutt's
legacy as a groundbreaking writer remains firm in India and around the
world.
With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset
manuscript, this edition of Toru Dutt's Bianca, or, The Young Spanish
Maiden is a classic work of Bengali literature reimagined for modern
readers.
