The Fertile Earth

Book excerpt: 'Nothing short of dazzling' Tania James, author of Loot A sweeping story of forbidden love, of friendship and betrayal, power and revenge, set against the tumultuous political landscape of post-Independence India The mounting curiosity amongst them was not about the identity of the victims; they all knew who the dead ones were. The only question that remained, therefore, was who amongst them had seen it happen. Vijaya and Sree are the daughters of the wealthy, landowning Deshmukh family, whose social status and power are absolute in the tiny village of Irumi. Krishna and Ranga are the sons of a widowed servant who works in the Deshmukh household. The four children should never have spoken, let alone forged a friendship. But the bonds they form are intense – and dangerous. When they are caught up in a devastating accident, the consequences ripple through their lives and send them scattering to different corners of India. Years later, when violent uprisings tear across the countryside, Vijaya and Krishna find themselves irresistibly drawn back to one another, despite the differences in their class and background. But this is not the India they once knew. Their country is changing, burning from the inside out. Irumi is no longer safe. 'Beautifully written, immersive, clear-eyed in its depiction of caste and oppression, yet tender in its portrayal of heartbreak and hope.' Deepa Anappara, author of Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line 'What a marvelous writer Ruthvika is... The Fertile Earth is a compulsively readable novel.' Margot Livesey, author of The Boy in the Field