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Book excerpt: “Mother Mary Comes to Me” by Arundhati Roy

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Book excerpt: “Mother Mary Comes to Me” by Arundhati Roy


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Arundhati Roy, the Booker Prize-winning author of “The God of Small Things,” is now publishing her first memoir.

In “Mother Mary Comes to Me” (to be released September 2 by Scribner), Roy explores her formative and tumultuous relationship with her mother, and how it shaped her life and career.

Read an excerpt below. 


“Mother Mary Comes to Me” by Arundhati Roy

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Gangster

She chose September, that most excellent month, to make her move. The monsoon had receded, leaving Kerala gleaming like an emerald strip between the mountains and the sea. As the plane banked to land, and the earth rose to greet us, I couldn’t believe that topography could cause such palpable, physical pain. I had never known that beloved landscape, never imagined it, never evoked it, without her being part of it. I couldn’t think of those hills and trees, the green rivers, the shrinking, cemented-over rice fields with giant billboards rising out of them advertising awful wedding saris and even worse jewelry, without thinking of her. She was woven through it all, taller in my mind than any billboard, more perilous than any river in spate, more relentless than the rain, more present than the sea itself. How could this have happened? How? She checked out with no advance notice. Typically unpredictable.

The church didn’t want her. She didn’t want the church. (There was savage history there, nothing to do with God.) So given her standing in our town, and given our town, we had to fashion a fitting funeral for her. The local papers reported her passing on their front pages, most national papers mentioned it, too. The internet lit up with an outpouring of love from generations of students who had studied in the school she founded, whose lives she had transformed, and from others who knew of the legendary legal battle she had waged and won for equal inheritance rights for Christian women in Kerala. The deluge of obituaries made it even more crucial that we do the right thing and send her on the way she deserved. But what was that right thing? Fortunately, on the day she died the school was closed and the children had gone home. The campus was ours. It was a huge relief. Perhaps she had planned that, too.

Conversations about her death and its consequences for us, especially me, had begun when I was three years old. She was thirty then, debilitated by asthma, dead broke (her only asset was a bachelor’s degree in education), and she had just walked out on her husband—my father, I should say, although somehow that comes out sounding strange. She was almost eighty-nine when she died, so we had sixty years to discuss her imminent death and her latest will and testament, which, given her preoccupation with inheritance and wills, she rewrote almost every other week. The number of false alarms, close shaves, and great escapes that she racked up would have given Houdini pause for thought. They lulled us into a sort of catastrophe complacency. I truly believed she would outlive me. When she didn’t, I was wrecked, heart-smashed. I am puzzled and more than a little ashamed by the intensity of my response.

     
Excerpted from “Mother Mary Comes to Me” by Arundhati Roy. Copyright © 2025 by Arundhati Roy. Reprinted with permission of Scribner, a division of Simon & Schuster.


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“Mother Mary Comes to Me” by Arundhati Roy

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Taylor Swift on bond with Dakota Johnson: ‘Curious’

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Taylor Swift on bond with Dakota Johnson: ‘Curious’


Taylor Swift on bond with Dakota Johnson: ‘Curious’

Taylor Swift has opened up about her close bond with Dakota Johnson, describing the actress as an “endlessly curious” and “empathetic” friend who stands out for her refreshing honesty. 

Writing a heartfelt essay for Time’s 100 Most Influential People of 2026, the 36-year-old singer-songwriter vouched for Johnson’s “realness” in an industry often defined by carefully managed media responses. 

Swift praised the bestie for her unique ability to answer questions with such “frank candour” that it leaves people wondering if she is simply incapable of lying.

While the two stars have largely kept their relationship away from the public eye, they have been part of the same social circle since 2016, often spotted enjoying dinner in the company of friends like Zoë Kravitz, Cara Delevingne, and Suki Waterhouse. 

This long-standing connection has given Swift a front-row seat to Johnson’s personality, which she describes as being deeply inquisitive about the lives of others. 

According to Swift, the actress is constantly exploring the “intricate relationship complexities” of the human experience, a trait that fuels her work both in front of and behind the camera.

Beyond their personal friendship, Swift highlighted Johnson’s professional bravery, specifically noting her willingness to take “newer and bolder risks” by founding her own production company, TeaTime Pictures. 

The Grammy-winning artist noted that this drive to challenge herself is a core part of who the actress is. 

Swift seems to admire the way Johnson balances being a captivating presence on screen with an inquisitive nature behind the scenes, suggesting that this combination is what makes her storytelling feel so authentic.

Ultimately, Swift believes that Johnson’s commitment to the truth is what defines her legacy in Hollywood. 

She concluded her tribute by noting that her friend’s “unfailing truthfulness” helps shape her work into art that feels “as real and timeless as she is.” 

By bridging the gap between her public persona and her private self, Johnson has clearly made a lasting impression on Swift, who views her as a rare example of someone whose evolving career is a direct reflection of her genuine, inquisitive character.





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PM hails Saudi economic support, highlights US-Iran peace efforts in MBS meeting

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PM hails Saudi economic support, highlights US-Iran peace efforts in MBS meeting


Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif (left) exchanges views with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during a key meeting in Jeddah on April 15, 2026. —X@PakPMO
  • Pakistan reaffirms “shoulder to shoulder” support for Saudi Arabia.
  • PM, MBS discuss regional situation during nearly two-hour meeting.
  • Pakistan, Saudi Arabia review bilateral ties and strategic cooperation.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has expressed his sincere appreciation for Saudi Arabia’s consistent support for Pakistan’s economic stability during a meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Jeddah, according to the Prime Minister’s Office.

The Prime Minister called on Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, who is also the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, in Jeddah this evening. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar was also present at the meeting.

According to the PMO, the two leaders held detailed discussions during a warm and cordial meeting that lasted almost two hours, focusing on the evolving regional situation as well as bilateral relations.

During the meeting, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed full solidarity and support for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the wake of recent regional escalation, saying that “the people of Pakistan stand shoulder to shoulder with our Saudi brethren.” He also conveyed deep condolences over the loss of precious lives.

He appreciated what he described as the Kingdom’s “exemplary patience and restraint,” adding that the Crown Prince’s leadership during the current crisis “has been a source of strength for all peace-loving people in the Kingdom and beyond.”

The Prime Minister also shared recent developments related to Pakistan’s peace efforts, including those that led to the US–Iran ceasefire and the recently held round of historic talks between the US and Iran in Islamabad. He noted that “Pakistan and the Kingdom enjoy a unique relationship as strategic defence partners under the Pakistan–Saudi Arabia Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement.”

He further expressed appreciation for Saudi Arabia’s continued support of Pakistan’s economic stability, describing it as “deeply appreciated.”

Both leaders also exchanged views on matters of mutual interest and reaffirmed their commitment to continued close cooperation.





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A culinary thriller with explosive star power

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A culinary thriller with explosive star power


‘Tyrant’: A culinary thriller with explosive star power

Demi Moore is continuing her remarkable career resurgence, signing on for the new culinary thriller Tyrant alongside Charlize Theron and Julia Garner.

Variety broke the news exclusively, reporting that Moore has accepted a key role in the high-stakes film set within New York City’s elite fine dining scene. 

David Weil, known for Amazon series Hunters and Invasion, will write and direct, working from a script he developed with Cody Behan. 

Production is expected to begin within weeks in Los Angeles, having secured a California Film Tax Credit.

The film will be produced by Theron alongside her Secret Menu partners Beth Kono and A.J. Dix, as well as The Picture Company’s Alex Heineman and Andrew Rona. 

Weil produces with partner Natalie Laine Williams, with Stan Wlodkowski serving as executive producer.

Moore arrives at this project on the back of one of the strongest periods of her career. 

Her performance in The Substance, in which she played a fading star who takes a mysterious drug to reclaim her youth, earned her a Golden Globe and a Critics Choice Award, as well as an Oscar nomination. 

She will next be seen in Boots Riley’s I Love Boosters in late May, and currently stars in the top-rated Taylor Sheridan series Landman.





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