The no-holds-barred autobiography of celebrated economist-writer Devaki Jain, who made significant contributions to feminist economics, social justice, and women’s empowerment in India, will hit the stands on October 3, announced publishing house Speaking Tiger on Monday. The book, “The Brass Notebook: A Memoir”, will feature foreword by Nobel laureate Amartya Sen. Through the story of her life, Jain has a message for women across generations: “one can experience the good, the bad and the ugly, and remain standing to tell the story”.

“It was difficult to reveal my personal life, but because I felt that my story could be a source of strength for many women, I decided to share both my political engagements and my personal adventures,” said the 87-year-old, whose earlier works include “Close Encounters of Another Kind: Women and Development Economics” and “Harvesting Feminist Knowledge for Public Policy: Rebuilding Progress” . Born in 1933, in Mysore, Karnataka, Jain’s father was a dewan in the Princely States of Mysore and Gwalior. Student of Mysore University, where she studied Mathematics and Economics, she later left for St Anne’s College, Oxford University (UK) and graduated in Economics and Philosophy. In 2006, she was awarded the Padma Bhushan — the third-highest civilian honor from the Government of India — for her contributions to social justice and the empowerment of women.

In the book, Jain talks about the hardships she faced in Oxford, early encounters with sensual life, marrying Gandhian freedom fighter and writer, Lakshmi Chand Jain, against the wishes of her father, or working closely with revolutionaries like Vinoba Bhave during his ‘Bhoodan movement’, her encounters with world leaders and thinkers, including Nelson Mandela, Desmond Tutu, Henry Kissinger, Doris Lessing and Iris Murdoch. According to the publishers, what shines through the book is Jain’s honesty in telling all encounters and anecdotes “like it was”.

“The Brass Notebook is everything a good memoir should be: racy, candid and full of fascinating anecdotes about the rich and famous as well as the poor and downtrodden. Devaki Jain’s work as a feminist and economist is an inspiration for all of us, just as her personal life makes for a great story!,” said Renuka Chatterjee, VP Publishing, Speaking Tiger. The book is currently available for pre-order on Amazon and Speaking Tiger’s official website..