Thirst

The gorgeous, poignant novel about unexpected love within an arranged marriage in mid-century India, by the award-winning author of Brahma's Dream.

Against the backdrop of World War II's momentous upheaval and world-changing events, Shree Ghatage weaves a rich, intimate story about the many forms desire may take, especially for the young Indian couple at its heart: Vasanti, an intelligent and beautiful woman who has grown up sheltered from the world by her well-meaning father; and Baba, the wealthy, accomplished scion of a prominent Brahmin family. Thrown together into an arranged marriage that neither has wished for, these two conflicted souls slowly learn to tolerate, grow fond of, and finally, passionately love each other.
As Ghatage expertly unwinds her tale, she moves between the lushness of India and the sombre grey of London during the Blitz, gradually allowing the outside world to encroach upon the lovers and forcing us to reexamine our assumptions about them. In a shocking conclusion, Ghatage brilliantly reveals how the unruly forces of love and desire can combine in large and small ways to utterly change a family's destiny.