The manuscript of my first novel, FAINT PROMISE OF RAIN, is currently on submission, i.e. my agent has sent it out to a handful of potentially interested publishers, and I now am sitting tight trying not to obsess about its fate and instead formulating my next book. Until it hits the shelves/tablets, I hope you enjoy the trailer.
Book Blurb:
FAINT PROMISE OF RAIN, an historical novel, is the story of a little girl in 16th century India. Born during the first rain in five years, Adhira is both somewhat magical and a harbinger of change. Her Hindu family’s tradition dictates that she become a devadasi, a temple dancer and sexual companion to wealthy men. But set against the backdrop of impending war with invading Muslim armies, her unwavering faith creates layers of conflict and secrecy in her family, which all unravel when she falls prey to the temple priest’s desires. Told from her all-knowing point of view, this is a story of devotion to art and to family, of change and loss, and of new beginnings.
Kathak Dance:
In 2001, I began my study of kathak, a classical form of dance from northern India. Within a few weeks, I was smitten. The percussive footwork, the complex rhythms, the expressive story-telling, the depth of my teacher Gretchen Hayden’s (and her teacher Chitresh Das’) knowledge, the layers of cultural significance stirred my soul. I was introduced to an entire world, a universe of artistry and discipline and richness and beauty and history.
It was this history, dating back a thousand years to when those who performed this dance form were kathakas, wandering minstrels who danced the stories of the Hindu gods and goddesses in village after village, that gave me the idea for my series of novels. The history of kathak dance has mirrored the history of India. With every major shift in political power in India, the form of kathak dance changed, along with the settings in which it was performed, and the role dancers played in society. Each of my novels will take place during one of these shifts: the establishment of the Moghul Empire in the 1550s, the establishment of the British Raj in the 1800s, the national movement of the 1920s and 1930s that eventually led to India and Pakistan’s independence, and the diaspora that brought so many young Indians to Europe and the Americas beginning in the 1970s. Through these shifts, kathak dance went from a religious art practiced in temples to an entertainment art upheld by courtesans to a banned art nurtured by prostitutes to a celebrated art appreciated on stages around the world. The story of kathak dance is a story of India, of cultures colliding and mingling, of loss and creation, of religion and morality, of tradition and change, of resistance and acceptance, of cultural identity, and of the endurance of storytelling. How better to tell it to the world than through a series of novels?
