The Fertile Earth

WINNER OF THE 2026 ADVENTURE WRITING PRIZE * LONGLISTED FOR THE 2025 DYLAN THOMAS PRIZE * SHORTLISTED FOR THE CENTER FOR FICTION PRIZE *

A sweeping story of forbidden love, of friendship and betrayal, power and revenge, set against the tumultuous political landscape of post-Independence India

Vijaya and Sree are the daughters of the wealthy, landowning Deshmukh family, whose social status and power are absolute in the tiny village of Irumi. Krishna and Ranga are the sons of a widowed servant who works in the Deshmukh household.

The four children should never have spoken, let alone forged a friendship. But the bonds they form are intense – and dangerous. When an attempt to hunt a man-eating tiger in the jungle goes disastrously wrong, the consequences ripple through their lives.

Years later, when violent uprisings tear across the countryside, they find themselves irresistibly drawn back to one another.

‘A heart-wrenching tale of forbidden love.’ Washington Post

‘Rao’s illuminating tale of moral corruption and redemptive love is beautifully crafted [and] heralds a terrific new talent.’ Observer

‘A spellbinding epic of land, class and family in post-independence India.’ Aube Rey Lescure