New Delhi, Oct. 18 -- There's nothing odd about a woman who always keeps a handkerchief handy. In India, it's a familiar sight. If the handkerchief has "brightly coloured edging in pink, green, orange or red", or if it's knotted at the top and bottom, most of us wouldn't think twice about it. However, for author Kuzhali Manickavel, the mundane is a call to action to summon the weird. Consequently, in her debut novel A Compendium of Supernatural Entities Found in the Government Girls Higher Secondary School, the well-used handkerchief (in addition to being an everyday accessory) may also be an "Amul Baby".

"The best way to catch an Amul Baby is to use an old kerchief, which is washed by hand every day," says A Compendium. "Amul Babies are...