The Grammarian
A Novel
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- $12.99
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- $12.99
Publisher Description
In the fall of 1911, Alexandre Lautens, an ambitious French philologist, sweeps into a remote part of India to study the Telugu language. Hosted by a local wealthy landowner and his family, Lautens arrives at a moment of change for the Adivis: Mohini, the younger and strikingly beautiful daughter is about to marry, an act which will inevitably condem her older sister, who suffers from being plain and disfigured, to spinsterhood.
Intellectually curious by nature, the elder sister Anjali is beguiled by Lautens, and as they find an intimacy within language, an unexpected relationship develops. After Anjali confesses that her disfigurement – a lasting injury from polio – has kept her from swimming since her childhood, Lautens surprises her with a trip to the beach. Regardless of what might have happened between them, Adivi is outraged when he hears word of their outing. Thinking his daughter a tramp and Lautens a predator, both are swiftly kicked out, left to fend for themselves—separately—as they try to navigate what really happened.
Lautens returns to France, never sure if he should have remained part of Anjali's life. Anjali flees too, seeking a life of political activism she never knew possible. Despite a life brimming with independence and bravery, Anjali never loses sight of the man who, however briefly, filled her heart.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Potluri's stunning debut novel, set in India as the 20th century dawns, follows the journey of French linguist, Alexandre Lautens, as he travels to the English dominated south to complete a first-of-its-kind grammar of Telugu, a language less well-known to the West than Hindi, and which because of its musical qualities is known as the "Italian of the East." Lautens gets a unique glimpse into upper class Indian life when he's invited to stay with the anglophilic Adivi family at their palatial home, complete with lower caste servants who attend to Lauten's every want. Lautens befriends Adivi's mother, the frank and wise Kanakadurga, who lives with the family, as well as Adivi's intelligent and less beautiful older daughter, Anjali, whose leg has been withered by polio, but who takes an interest in helping Lautens with his work. A lopsided romance blooms, leaving both Lautens and Anjali in a precarious position, augmented by Anjali's interest in nationalist activism. Potluri's description of the sounds and grammar of Telugu, as well as her sensual description of domestic elements, suffuse the text with richness, while her gorgeous portrayal of south Indian culture remains firmly grounded: the ideal and beautiful sharing close quarters with the grotesque and problematic.
