#Review: The Greatest Stories from the Northeast Ever Told by Jobeth Ann Warjri

The Greatest Stories from the Northeast Ever Told
Edited by: Jobeth Ann Warjri
Publisher: Aleph Book Company
Rating: 4/5

“The Greatest Stories from the Northeast Ever Told” is an ambitious and much-needed anthology that finally brings the voices of India’s Northeast into a single, accessible volume. Twenty-seven writers, spanning generations and geographies, come together here — from the legendary Mamang Dai and Temsula Ao to contemporary voices like Anjum Hasan, Avinuo Kire, and Rishav Kumar Thakur. The editor, Jobeth Ann Warjri, deserves credit for weaving such a wide tapestry of perspectives without losing the emotional pulse that runs through all of them.

The stories move across terrain — both literal and emotional — that’s raw, lyrical, and deeply human. Nini Lungalang’s Child of Fortune sets the tone with its wrenching portrayal of a mother’s impossible choice between life and death in the backdrop of violence. Rishav Kumar Thakur’s Sacred Pool explores identity and repressed sexuality with a subtlety that lingers long after you close the book. And in Aisu Minam Yirang’s Black Moon, the eerie symbolism of a black umbrella brings in an almost gothic undertone.

What’s striking is how seamlessly the anthology balances the political and the personal. There’s a constant tension between beauty and brutality, between folklore and modernity — a reminder that the Northeast’s stories aren’t just “regional,” they’re universal in emotion and reach.

That said, the collection isn’t flawless. The tonal shifts between stories can feel jarring at times — a lyrical, meditative piece might suddenly be followed by something starkly realist or experimental, leaving the reader momentarily disoriented. A few stories, while rich in theme, feel constrained by brevity, as though they’re fragments of larger worlds that deserve novels of their own.

But perhaps that’s the charm — this anthology doesn’t hand you polished answers. It asks you to sit with ambiguity, to listen to voices that are often overlooked yet deeply resonant. It’s the kind of book that refuses to be hurried through; you read one story, pause, and let its world settle before stepping into the next.

In the end, The Greatest Stories from the Northeast Ever Told isn’t just a literary collection — it’s a conversation between cultures, memories, and silences. Tender yet turbulent, political yet poetic, it’s a book that leaves an indelible mark, reminding us that the margins of India often hold its most compelling stories.

Find this book here.