Flame Tree Road (ePub)

"Patel follows up her 2013 debut, Teatime for the Firefly, with this soulful prequel that offers compelling and devastating details of life in India." -Kirkus Reviews

1870s India. In a tiny village where society is ruled by a caste system and women are defined solely by marriage, young Biren Roy dreams of forging a new destiny. When his mother suffers the fate of widowhood-shunned by her loved ones and forced to live in solitary penance-Biren devotes his life to effecting change.

Biren's passionate spirit blossoms as wildly as the blazing flame trees of his homeland. With a law degree, he goes to work for the government to pioneer academic equality for girls. But in a place governed by age-old conventions, progress comes at a price, and soon Biren becomes a stranger among his own countrymen.

Just when his vision for the future begins to look hopeless, he meets Maya, the independent-minded daughter of a local educator, and his soul is reignited. It is in her love that Biren finally finds his home, and in her heart that he finds the hope for a new world.

"Patel skillfully uses the culture and customs of... India as a fascinating framework for an unforgettable story of love and loss, hope and change... that will stay with readers long after they turn the last page." -Booklist (starred review)

"Entranced me from the very first page... Patel's lyrical writing infuses Flame Tree Road with powerful imagery." -Historical Novel Society