GOA’s fascination and charm arise partly from its sheer natural beauty and partly from its distinct Indo-Iberian culture. Goa’s best known contemporary writer, Mario Cabral e Sá, attempts to capture the essence of this amalgam of cultures in his laconic style, peppered with a distinctively Goan sense of humour. He flits from history to legend, from tales of love to tales of gore, from Catholic orthodoxy to hedonistic manifestations of liberation, very Latin in spirit, in order to define the identity of this tiny island. What emerges is a memorable account of the essentially Portuguese connection of the state and the history of some of its important monuments and feast days. Lavish colour pictures and centrespreads by Amit Pasricha buttress the uniqueness and vivacity of the state’s culture.