Esther David Biography and latest books by Esther David

Esther David is a Jewish-Indian author, an artist and a sculptor. She was born into a Bene Israel Jewish family in Ahmedabad, Gujarat.

 Her father, Reuben David was a hunter-turned-veterinarian. He founded the Kamala Nehru Zoological Garden and Balvatika in the city of Ahmedabad. Her mother, Sarah, was a school teacher. Esther spent a lot of time in the zoo, watching and communicating with the animals during her childhood days.
She did her schooling from Ahmedabad. She then joined MS University, Baroda, to study Fine Arts and Art History. She was taught sculpture and art history by a renowned sculptor - Sankho Chaudhary. She began her career as a professor in art history and art appreciation after her graduation.

She taught at the CEPT University and NIFT. She became the Times of India art critic and later a columnist for Femina, a women’s magazine, and other leading national dailies.

Her first book, The Walled City was published in 1997 by East West Books, Madras. It is a story about the forces that unite and divide generations and communities in the walled city of Ahmedabad. It was re-published by Syracuse University Press USA and is listed in the library of modern Jewish Literature.
Her next books to be published were: By the Sabarmati, The Book of Esther, and The Book of Rachel. Her first book for teenagers, My Father’s Zoo (published in August 2007) is a tribute to her father and the animals in the zoo. Her latest book, Shalom India Housing Society was released on November 4, 2007.

A single mother and grandmother of two, she’s now a full time writer and lives in Ahmedabad.