Many women have found the relationship with their fathers to be the key one in helping them to step outside tradition, which often remained identified with their mothers. In this book, twelve women, all middle class, ranging from middle to old age, talk about what their fathers meant to them. Some have famous fathers: K K Hebbar, the artist, Shuksampatrai Bhandari, the pioneer who compiled to first modern Hindi dictionary, a composer of music for the Gujarati stage and cinema, Bimal Roy, an early art filmmaker. Some have fathers who were successful in their careers, others who were not particularly so. Written with perception, detachment, appreciation, and also searing bitterness, this book reveals many surprising aspects of this crucial relationship and about the women themselves.