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Tiger Hills

by Sarita Mandanna

Sarita Mandanna blends history and romance in her Man Asian Literary Prize–longlisted debut novel, a multi-generational saga. From wars to suicides to sexual abuse, there are very few tragedies that don’t befall the Nachimada family over the course of this overwrought novel’s 60-year span.

The story opens in the 1870s, with the beautiful, strong-willed Devi, who befriends Devanna, a shy, intelligent boy. As youths, the two are inseparable, but as they grow into young adulthood, things become much more complicated. Devanna is quietly in love with Devi, but she becomes smitten with Machu, a famous tiger killer, with whom she begins a secret affair. This love triangle serves as the catalyst for the novel’s seemingly never-ending sequence of tragedies, a histrionic chain of events that affects future generations.

Mandanna’s beautiful descriptions of the lush hills and rituals of Coorg, India, add a mythic element. The novel’s reliance on symbolism – both herons and bamboo flowers crop up repeatedly throughout the text – gives the story a spiritual quality that reflects the Coorgs’ unwavering respect for their gods, but this at times becomes somewhat overwhelming.

The strength of the novel lies in the well-crafted characters, whose winning qualities and serious flaws combine to help them leap off the page. Devi and Machu are both strong and confident, but they also willingly give into temptation and flout established conventions. Even the quiet and well-
educated Devanna strays from the honourable path – a decision he must struggle with for the rest of his life. It’s this blend of good and bad that makes Mandanna’s characters feel instantly real and renders their experiences universal.

Given that the characters are so well-developed, and the sense of place so strong, it’s unfortunate that the unabated stream of melodrama mars the novel.

 

Reviewer: Suzanne Gardner

Publisher: Viking Canada

DETAILS

Price: $32

Page Count: 496 pp

Format: Cloth

ISBN: 978-0-67006-451-9

Released: March

Issue Date: 2011-3

Categories: Fiction: Novels