Synopsis
Tara's nuanced narrative is bathed in grace and empathy' NAMITA GOKHALE
'A powerful depiction' AMISH
'Exuberant and imaginative' ARUNDHATHI SUBRAMANIAM
THE EPIC STORY OF TARA, QUEEN OF KISHKINDHA, IN WHICH HUMAN AND ANIMAL DESTINIES INTERTWINE IN A CLASH OF COURAGE AND KINSHIP.
In the legendary tale of Ramayan, where deities and demons collide to maintain cosmic order, Tara’s enigmatic story introduces the comedy and joy of animal societies until one mishap changes everything. Balancing the interpersonal dynamics between various life forms, the monkey queen chronicles an enthralling saga of the forest kingdom of Kishkindha.
Tara’s journey captures the mighty King Bali’s strong belief in animal wisdom, in stark contrast with his brother Sugreev’s admiration for human rationality. Caught in the web of their complex ideologies, Tara skilfully negotiates for peace and pride amidst the treacherous politics of human cruelty and animal instincts. Catastrophic secrets challenge earthly boundaries, linking the fates of both realms, following the vanar king’s tragic death. Faced with profound grief, Tara must now navigate between her past with Bali and her present with Sugreev.
In this richly emotional and stunningly lyrical finale to the Sati series, Koral Dasgupta recasts Tara’s role within the epic, celebrating her determination to carve out a legacy amidst love, loss, loyalties and relentless chaos.*
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In the Sati series, Koral Dasgupta explores the lives of the Pancha Kanyas from the Hindu epics and reinvents them with a feminist consciousness.
Details
10 July 2024
9788119300754Reviews
‘Embedded within the epic saga of the Ramayan, Tara’s nuanced narrative is bathed in grace and empathy. We enter the non-textual world of the vanaras to discover a deep worldview through the voice of an extraordinary protagonist’ NAMITA GOKHALE
'A powerful depiction of Tara’s world, encompassing Bali and Sugreev, with their distinct ideologies influencing the rules of the Kishkindha kingdom' AMISH, bestselling author of the Shiva trilogy
‘Exuberant and imaginative, this narrative about kinship, friendship and love explores questions about borders: between the animal and the human, the wild and the tame, the living and the dead, the revelatory and the remembered, heaven and earth, language and silence. With a cast of vividly etched characters and a feel for the mysteries that lie at the heart of intimacy, here is a fascinating tale by an inventive and thoughtful storyteller’ ARUNDHATI SUBRAMANIAM
Praise for the Sati series
‘Ahalya, Draupadi, Kunti, Tara, Mandodari – each of the Pancha Kanyas is fascinating ... Koral Dasgupta’s wonderful retelling adds to this corpus, with a lyrical and poetic quality’ BIBEK DEBROY
‘Magical and thought-provoking’ CHITRA BANERJEE DIVAKARUNI
‘Enigmatic’ NAMITA GOKHALE
‘A must for those wishing to know about our past and the dialectics of gender within it’ PAVAN K. VARM
