In celebration of the debut release of the fiercely political and headily romantic novel, The Fertile Earth, spend a night in with award-winning author and former commuter programmer Ruthvika Rao.
Irumi village, Telangana. Vijaya and Sree are the daughters of the wealthy landowning Deshmukh family, whose social status and power are absolute.
Krishna and Ranga are the sons of a widowed servant in the household.
The four children ought never to have spoken, let alone become friends, but the bonds they form are intense – and dangerous.
When Vijaya suggests they track down a tiger, that is rumoured to be circling Irumi, the children are caught up in a terrible accident. The consequences of that day reverberate through their lives, scattering them to different corners of India.
Years later their paths cross again, and Vijaya and Krishna find themselves irresistibly drawn back to each other despite the differences in their class and background. But India has changed: their country is burning from the inside out, and when violent uprisings break out in Irumi, a shocking act of vengeance threatens to change their lives forever.
Ruthvika will share her journey from computer programmer to writer, emphasizing the importance of showing up every day for her work. The Fertile Earth is the culmination of this dedication, vividly portraying a social landscape intertwined with personal narratives. She will discuss writing as a journey of self-discovery, as Ruthvika embeds some version of herself into every page.
Don’t miss this captivating evening where Ruthvika, alongside Aube Rey Lescue, paints a vivid social canvas of a specific time and place as they explore the evolution of romantic love, political unrest, and societal divisions.