With tender rage, one of India's most powerful living writers breathes life into an age-old tale of forbidden passion' - Nilanjana Roy

Saroja and Kumaresan are young and in love. After meeting in a small southern Indian town, where Kumaresan works at a soda bottling shop, they quickly marry before returning to Kumaresan's family village to build a new life together. But they are harbouring a dangerous secret: Saroja is from a different caste than Kumaresan, and if the villagers find out, they will both be in grave peril.Faced with venom from her mother-in-law, and questions from her new neighbours, Saroja tries to adjust to a lonely and uncomfortable life, while Kumaresan struggles to scrape together enough money for them to start over somewhere new. Will their love keep them safe in a hostile world?

Autorentext
PERUMAL MURUGAN is one of India's most respected and highest selling literary writers, author of eleven novels and five collections each of short stories and poetry. He was born in rural Tamil Nadu, where he continues to live and work. He has twice been longlisted for the National Book Award for Translated Literature for One Part Woman and The Story of a Goat, both of which are published by Pushkin Press.ANIRUDDHAN VASUDEVAN writes and translates between Tamil and English. His translations include One Part Woman, A Lonely Harvest, and Trial by Silence by Perumal Murugan, and A Night With a Black Spider by Ambai.