The Fertile Earth: 'Destined to be a future classic' Guardian

(Paperback, MMP)

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A thrilling story of love and resistance about two young people born across social lines, set against a tumultuous political landscape in India.


The mounting curiosity amongst them was not about the identity of the victims; they all knew who the dead ones were, nor about the identity of the perpetrators; they all knew whose work it was.


The only question that remained, therefore, was who amongst them had seen it happen.


1969: In a remote field in Irumi, a tiny village nestled deep within the ghats and jungles of Telangana, a small boy witnesses a shocking act of vengeance.


A decade earlier, Vijaya and Sree, daughters of the landowning Deshmukh family, set out with the Krishna and Ranga, the sons of one of their parents servants, determined to track down a tiger rumoured to be circling Irumi. The consequences of this terrible day will explode through each of their young lives, sending them scattering for different corners of India.


When Krishna and Vijaya find one another again, they are as changed as the country they call home. Both are pulled inexorably back to the place that shaped them, a place that is no longer safe

Reviews

'Dazzling... Plot-packed, emotionally extravagant, dramatically intense...The writing, moreover, soars...Such is the unique power and enchantment of this novel that seemsdestined to be a future classic.'Guardian

'An achingly beautiful book... A spellbinding epic of land, class, and family in post-independence India. Vijaya, Krishna, Ranga, and Sree are formidable characters whose choices never fail to upend expectations, hurtling towards a future of earth-shattering emotional reverberations.'Aube Rey Lescure, author ofRiver East, River West

'The relationship between the four characters is the heart of the book, but the village of Irumi, its inhabitants and the tensions between them are also important in this epic, ambitious debut.' The Times

'The Fertile Earthmade me think about so many things, from family and love to politics and violence. The scope of this brilliant novel is vast. Absolutely captivating.Luan Goldie, author ofNightingale Point

'The Fertile Earthis an unforgettable novel. It's 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 andThe Last of Earth

'Lush and beautiful from beginning to end... Rao's prose is undeniably captivating.' Debutiful

'A heart-wrenching tale of forbidden love.' The Washington Post

'What a marvelous writer Ruthvika is...The Fertile Earthisa compulsively readable novel.'Margot Livesey, author ofThe Boy in The Field

'Lush, bold, haunting and heartbreaking. The story of a forbidden love against the violent backdrop of post-independent India,The Fertile Earthhad me gripped. Raos gorgeous prose leaps off the page in this impressive and unforgettable debut novel.Alba Arikha, author ofTwo Hours

'Held me spellbound...Ruthvika Rao is a fearless writer, and her debut is nothing short of dazzling.'Tania James, author ofLoot

'Dealing with class struggle and the motivations for insurgency as well as sibling rivalry and forbidden love, its an epic social novel that movingly weaves the political and personal.' Daily Mail

'An astonishing, intelligent epicset during the early decades of post-Independence India... Anovel you will not be able to forget.'Angela Flournoy, author ofThe Turner House

'This isan inspired, gorgeous book, and Ruthvika Rao's storytelling has a confident, compassionate intelligenceI'd follow her bright voice anywhere.'Natalie Bakopoulos, author ofScorpionfish

'Bold, sensual, and captivating,The Fertile Earthpits love against memory, love against class, love against politics, love against time, love against all. Read it, and find out which one wins.'Shobha Rao, author ofGirls Burn Brighter

Phenomenal It would be simplistic to describe this brilliant novel as rich girl meets poor boy, yet that is the essence that takes deep root and blossoms in assured and breathtaking ways... Precisely etched characters, vivid descriptions, and a taut story line meld to deliver a masterpiece.Booklist

'A gorgeous story of star-crossed lovers across the class divide in volatile 1960s India...In the shocking climax, the children's subjective experience is revisited through Sree's childlike point of view in an absolutely brilliant way.' Historical Novel Society

'Amasterfuldebut by Ruthvika Rao, weaving a compelling tale of forbidden love against the tumultuous political backdrop of 1960s India... Captivates readers with itsrich tapestry of characters, intense emotions, and a storyline that delves deep into the social divide and political unrest of post-independence India.'Asian Lite

Author Bio

Ruthvika Rao is a 2022 graduate of the Iowa Writers' Workshop, where she was a Truman Capote Fellow and recipient of the Henfield Prize in fiction and the Stanley fellowship for international research. She was born in Warangal district, Telangana, and grew up in Hyderabad, India. Her short fiction has appeared in The Georgia Review, The Southern Review, New Letters, StoryQuarterly, the Antioch Review, Chicago Review and elsewhere.