Kaikeyi: A Novel
The great ancient Indian epic, the Ramayana, is told from Ram’s point of view—naturally enough, as he’s the god-hero of the story. But Ram’s story begins when his stepmother Kaikeyi demands he be banished, and Kaikeyi has been the villainess of the tale ever since. It’s this story that Vaishnavi Patel turns inside out, giving us Kaikeyi’s version of the classic. Ancient India is a land of demons and magic, and of gods. Of the three, a god causes the most trouble…
The happy third wife of a king, Kaikeyi is far more than she appears to be. She has painstakingly learned magic, for all the good it does her. She has formed a strong, fond bond with her two sister wives. She’s even driven her husband’s chariot in battle and saved his life. In gratitude, he grants Kaikeyi two boons, promises she may claim at any time, asking anything and he will have to grant it. Kaikeyi never dreamed the cost was her magic, or that the boons she would demand would tear her family apart, or that saving the world would cost her everything she held dear. But when her stepson Rama is revealed as an uncontrollable god, Kaikeyi knows nothing matters except teaching him patience and humanity.
Kaikeyi is a brilliant novel with a strong narrative voice. Kaikeyi is an appealing point-of-view character, nuanced and strong. And it’s a pleasure to read a prequel to the Ramayana from a woman’s point of view. Seen through Kaikeyi’s eyes, the struggle between what seems good and what is good takes on a fresh perspective. Highly recommended.
