Seasons of the Palm

Perumal Murugan, Translated from the Tamil by V. Geetha

Seasons of the Palm tells the story of Shortie, a young 'dalit' (so-called 'untouchable') farmworker and his painful growth into self-knowledge. In bondage to his landlord, Shortie’s life is one of hard physical labour and cruel persecution. But Shortie also inhabits another world. Happiest when out with his flocks, he is intimate with the palm-dotted pasture land and the forests that circle it. Caught between an oppressive working life and a rich, layered dream world, Shortie struggles with himself in an effort to escape his circumstances. Vivid in its re-creation of a harsh, yet haunting landscape, Seasons of the Palm is a relentless and compelling novel.

Shortlisted for Kiryama Prize, 2005

Fiction/Translation
Softcover
180 pages
£ 6.99 / $ 11.95 / Rs.295