The gift of a virgin : women, marriage, and ritual in a Bengali society

In this intimate and fascinating study, Fruzzetti paints a vivid picture of the activities and rituals governing life in Vishnupur, a large town in rural West Bengal. Drawing on four years of fieldwork during which she was both an observer and a participant in many of the rituals she describes, Fruzzetti, unlike most writers on India, gives primary attention to women, their daily activities, and their marriage rituals. These, she believes, are an important key to understanding Indian society as a whole.