WINNER OF THE 2010 COSTA FIRST NOVEL AWARD. 

'A powerfully-felt, shocking and moving indictment of cruelty and oppression.' Maggie Gee

"Kishwar Desai pulls off a remarkable trick, transplanting a country house murder to modern day India in a book that's not afraid to tackle serious themes." The Costa Prize Judges

'Thought-provoking.' The Guardian

In a small town in the heart of India, a young girl is found
tied to a bed inside a townhouse where thirteen people lie
dead. The girl is alive, but she has been beaten and abused.
She is held in the local prison, awaiting interrogation for
the murders she is believed by the local people to have
committed. Visiting social worker Simran attempts to
break through the girl’s mute trance to find out what
happened that terrible night. As she uncovers more and
more, Simran realises that she is caught in the middle of a
terrifying reality, where the unwanted female offspring of
families are routinely disposed of. Brilliantly atmospheric,
hauntingly real, this is a major debut from an exciting  
new author.

Kishwar Desai lives in London. She has written several
books of non-fiction, and has written journalism around the world on
issues of social injustice and women’s issues. This is her
first novel.

Details

• ISBN 9781905636853
• Publication date: 15th April 2010
• Format: B format paperback
• Pages: 352
• RRP: £7.99

Rights information

• UK and Commonwealth ex Canada