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Patricia C. (Naples, FL)
A Poignant Story of Love Amid Social Inequities
Two brothers from the servant class of India's caste system, two sisters from the highest social class whose family own the land and thus the entire economy of the southeastern area of India are the stars of this well written love.
The author explores how love between the young couple survived the horrors of the communist terroristic attacks on the upper classes, and the struggles of not just the two but the entire community of Irumi. She has drawn her characters so authentic that I could visualize them.
Lots to talk about discussing this book. I highly recommend it to readers and especially book clubs.
Sue Z. (Cornelius, NC)
The Fertile Earth
Ruthvika Rao has written a wonderful book that must be read and reread in order to appreciate every nuance and secret in the story.
In mid 20th century India, the age-old custom of landlords holding all the land and exercising feudal rights over the country population is being challenged by the communists and the Naxalite extremists.
It is during this turbulent time that the story takes place, pitting family members against each other and against those who must support their way of life.
Juli B. (Prosper, TX)
Tragic Tale with Strong Personalities
As a reader I enjoy exploring various cultures and historical themes through fictional tales that explain what individuals experienced and endured as world events happened away from my own circumstances. Having never traveled to India, I find stories about the caste systems disheartening, but am encouraged when I read about those who rise above specific limitations. Ruthvika Rao creates interesting scenarios for the main characters in "The Fertile Earth" and unwinds a difficult period of time for her homeland with a personable touch. The story provides readers with multiple strong personalities faced with
…more incredible challenges. The way their lives intertwine illuminates the talent of the author's writing skills. While the timeline tends to jump periodically, the chapter titles help to recenter the plot. Readers will debate choices made and wonder what life would have been like with less emphasis on traditional society expectations and more humanity toward one another. In particular, sisters Vijaya & Sree, as well as brothers Ranga & Krishna, provide much of the angst detailed from beginning to end, but my favorite character was Katya. In an emotional moment Katya explains why she often felt the most comfortable sleeping among the animal sheds, "...only the animals in his house have any humanity. Not the people." Heartbreaking! From the exterior, villagers imagine that anything desirable or imaginable can be found within the walls of their Irumi zamindar, yet the truth of that household is toxic for all who live or work within those boundaries. Trigger warnings of intense violence should accompany this novel.
Unfamiliar with Indian culture and language, readers might benefit from a short glossary of common terms and vocabulary. Regarding the cover art and choice of colors, this reader is perplexed; still not certain what the artwork symbolizes... a temple among clouds or perhaps the tiger claw pendant that plays a pivotal role in the family hertiage? I would pass on this novel if the cover art was the deciding factor. Fortunately though, receiving an advanced copy from Bookbrowse introduced me to this debut selection and I enjoyed learning about a pivotal time in India's tumultuous history. (less)This book chronicles some of the history and changes in India from 1955 to 1990. I was very confused by the first chapter and found the names and other words in the book at first. (The first and last chapters are bookends and are confusing until you read the chapters in between.) This novel starts in 1990 and ends in the last chapter in 1990. In between, the sections are in chronological order. Once I realized that, the novel made more sense. There is a feudal, aristocratic system with the power and the right to make the people in the villages work for them with food for their work. The main characters are
…more Vijaya and her sister, Scree, who are the aristocrats, and Krishna and his brother, Ranga, are sons of a servant of the Deshmukh family. The story chronicles the time of 1955-1990. Vijaya and Krishna are in school together, bright and drawn to each other. Both of them are able to attend college even though Krishna is poor; there are scholarships for him and his education. We see what each person goes through, and it provides a window to see what is happening to society at the same time. Some women can attend college, but there are ways that they are treated unfairly. Marxists and an ultra-left movement are moving to change the system of living and provide more and better choices for many. The characters and their family and friends show how things are and what they are becoming. We see how each of the four main characters is changed through their interactions in the novel. This weaves in politics and changes in the way of life. We view these changes through the lens of the four main characters. Once I was on a chronological path, I could see how the characters and the time setting made more sense. This would be a good book club book as it has rich language, history, and human interest. The author writes well, aside from the beginning chapter, which foreshadows what is to come. I found it difficult to transition from the first chapter and the chronological narrative between the first and last chapters. I enjoyed the historical and narrative story which showed the changes in the characters and the political and social changes as well. (less)I liked it.
The Fertile Earth is a good story on a particular piece of India's history that I knew nothing about.
It's a story line that's been done many times: a true blue boy from the wrong side of tracks meets a traumatized girl from a rich family. There is lots of drama and many, many intertwined plots and characterizations. Many of the supporting characters are so vivid that the reader feels instantly drawn to them.
It's compellingly written and moves quickly. The ending is perhaps a little too neat but I was engaged in the story from the opening paragraph AND it gives a striking picture of a time that now I
…more know a little more about. (less)I am interested in other cultures and this novel does not disappoint. This story with the Deshmukhs in Irumi, Telangana speaks of the landlords to the fertile earth after India's post independence. There are Indian words that were not familiar to me so I would have appreciated a glossary to guide me. Vijaya is a daughter of the aristocratic Deshmukhs who meets Krishna a son of a servant. They have a deep bond. Caste differences play a part in how they see political peasant uprisings, traditions, and love. The writing draws you in and along the way you learn about the intricacies among the well developed
…more characters and the deep connection to the fertile earth. (less)
Beth B. (New Wilmington, PA)
The Fertile Earth by Ruthvika Rao
Can a person actually live without looking back? Can life's pain be managed? Would it be possible to be given the strength to say no?
This complex novel offers rich possibilities for discussion groups or a college literature class largely due to themes such as power, difficult familial relationships, importance of wealth and material holdings, political insurrection, etc.
I was drawn into the book immediately and loved the majority of it but found gaps of sequence that made it difficult to be cohesive. Not being familiar with this period of history in India, it provided background for a story of enduring love,
…more family devotion, the bond between sisters and that of brother with brother.
The author exhibited skill in creating copious lyrical passages such as "Krisha lived within her like a melody." My favorite section dealt with a journey to capture a tiger. My main criticism was with the weakness of the title and cover art. (less)I wanted to really like this book. It is well written but for me the story line was muddled and dragged in places. The characters were interesting, but I didn't quite connect with any of them. It may be that I didn't enjoy the political story line, I'm just not sure why I couldn't get into this book
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