At the reading of the book published by Penguin, Esther said the protagonists of the 22 stories in the book are the women we see around us every day, who belong to our own milieu, making it easy for us to relate to them.

The stories are about what happens when women decide to shed their inhibitions and find courage to speak aloud. They chronicle the life of women behind the closed doors of slums and pols of Ahmedabad.

Essentially, Esther has attempted to capture once again the spirit of the walled city, albeit in a different way than was done in her previous book. `By the Sabarmati' speaks about the dreams and aspirations of women in Ahmedabad and depicts their psyche.

The protagonists -- whether it is Maya Desai, Vesti, Amina or Vidya -- have to struggle against disappointment, unrequited love or death of near ones.