Meen Kaul is riding high in her position as director of Behera
House, a safe haven in India for women who have survived domestic
violence. But when the stock market crashes, Meena loses her funding
for a new campus. Seeing an opportunity to win women's votes before
a national election, the Hindu Democratic Party (HDP) steps in with a
multimillion-dollar grant.
Meena's worst fears come to pass as the nationalist Hindu party wins
the election and begins to chip away at a hundred years of progress on
women's rights. Meanwhile, Simon Bliss, America's foremost "green"
architect, arrives to design the flagship building of the new campus.
Trapped in a stalled marriage, Simon falls for the bright and alluring
Meena and is quickly sucked into the perilous world of Indian politics.
In his attempt to loosen the HDP's grip on Meena and win her affection,
Simon spars with reactionary politicians, crooked priests, and
sleazy businessmen who will stop at nothing to protect their interests.
In the process, Simon comes face to face with disturbing truths about his
own past, and Meena finds herself trapped in a way she could have never
expected.
Langer has written an emotionally charged novel complete with forbidden
love, murder, and corporate greed-all against the backdrop of
an ancient country trying to find its identity in a fast-changing world.
