Flame Tree Road

“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