The new book 'U-turn and Other Stories' by Gauri Shankar Raina, translated by Pankaj Bhan, brings to life the struggles of Kashmiri people. Many stories take place in Jammu, making them a rare glimpse beyond the usual focus on Kashmir alone. The main theme is dispossession. Characters quietly face the loss of their homes and search for a new footing in unfamiliar places. Most are Hindus who moved from the Kashmir valley to Jammu or the plains. They speak Kashmiri but deal with universal challenges: finding love, making a home, and protecting family. One story shows an environmentalist fighting a plan for a mall on Dal Lake to save Kashmir's beauty. Another, 'The Shroud-maker', tells of religious tensions hurting a kind tailor. 'Mannequins' tells the story of a man who leaves Kashmir for Delhi, seeing his sick wife like lifeless mannequins, missing their lost mountains. The writing is simple and direct. However, some editing and translation errors distract, like a boat described as "undulating on the bosom of the lake" and a bus conductor sitting "with great elan". Despite this, the book offers a moving, clear window onto life as it is for people caught in great change. The book is published by Niyogi Books and priced at ₹495.