Rita Chowdhury – författare

It is the early nineteenth century. The British East India Company has been bringing in Chinese slaves to work in the tea gardens of Assam. Amidst days of misery and toil, they slowly begin to find contentment in their day-to-day lives. In post-independence Assam, Mei Lin, descended from the slave Ho Han, lives a life of satisfaction with her husband Pulok Barua. But in 1962, as war breaks out in the high Himalayas between India and China, a close family member conspires to have Mei Lin deported to Maoist China. She and thousands of other Chinese Indians will now have to fend for themselves in a land that, despite their origins, is strangely foreign. From the horror-ridden hardships of the slave pens of Assam to the Sino-Indian war, this searing novel tells the story of the Chinese Indians, a community condemned by intolerance to obscurity and untold sorrow.

‘Rita Chowdhury is an energetic and empathetic storyteller’ AMITAV GHOSHAN UNFORGETTABLE TALE OF LOVE, AMBITION, RIVALRY AND FATE PLAYS OUT IN AN EPIC CLASH OF THRONES.WINNER OF THE SAHITYA AKADEMI AWARDThe unexpected demise of Prince Mriganko of Gobha, orchestrated by his rival, King Jokanko, has sent shockwaves of sorrow rippling not only through his grieving parents but also the entire kingdom. Then, in a surprising twist, Jokanko voluntarily surrenders himself. Abi Konsari, the custodian of the threads of the past, must now unravel the sequence of events that led to this tragic fate, even as long-buried truths about bloodlines and tumultuous histories come to light.At the heart of Gobha lies a story of power and prophecy. Years earlier, the young and radiant Queen Chandraprabha was banished by her husband for supposedly nurturing an amorous desire. In a foreign land she later transformed into Konsari. Despite her efforts to start anew, her son Mriganko became ensnared in a ceaseless cycle of ambition and greed, navigating perilous landscapes marked by rival kings and their malevolent schemes. Now, burdened by his mother’s curse and armed with the truth, Jokanko must alter his destiny, wielding a divine sword that can bestow boundless might upon its owner. As dynasties clash and kingdoms crumble, an intense battle ensues among men hungry for the sword’s limitless power. All the while, the wheels of destiny continue to turn inexorably ...Originally published in Assamese as Deo Langkhui, this stupendous novel won the Sahitya Akademi Award in 2008. It weaves an epic saga of love and sacrifice, revenge and redemption, immersing thereader in the blood-soaked tapestry of Assamese history.