Pyre

Saroja and Kumaresan are young, in love and in danger. They meet in a small southern Indian town, where Kumaresan works in a soda bottling shop, and quickly marry before returning to Kumaresan's family village. But they are harbouring a dangerous secret: they belong to different castes, and if the villagers find out they will both be in grave peril.

Faced with venom from her mother-in-law, and pointed new questions from her new neighbours, Saroja struggles to adjust to a lonely and uncomfortable life. Kumaresan throws himself into building a new soda business, hoping to scrape together enough money for them to start over somewhere new. But as vicious whispers encircle the couple, will their love be enough to keep them safe?

About the Author
PERUMAL MURUGAN is one of India's most well-known literary writers. He has written eleven novels and five collections each of short stories and poetry. His novels One Part Woman and The Story of a Goat were both longlisted for the National Book Award for Translated Literature. They are both published by Pushkin Press.