It's spring 1920 in the small military town of Nandagiri in southeast India. Colonel Aylmer, commander of the Royal Irish Kildare Rangers, is in charge. A distance away, decently hidden from view, lies the native part of Nandagiri with its heaving bazaar, reeking streets, and brothels. Everyone in Nandagiri knows their place and the part they were born to play--with one exception. The local Anglo-Indians, tainted by their mixed blood, belong nowhere. When news of the Black and Tans' atrocities back in Ireland reaches the troops, even their priest cannot cool the men's hot-headed rage. Politics vie with passion as Private Michael Flaherty pays court to Rose, Mrs. Aylmer's Anglo-Indian maid, but mutiny brings heroism and heartbreak in equal measure. Only the arrival of Colonel Aylmer's grandson Richard, some 60 years later, will set off the reckoning, when those who were parted will be reunited, and those who were lost will be found again.

June 2020 Ireland, the official launch of the centenary of the Connaught Rangers Munity in India. West Cork Literary Festival 2021

About the Author
Cauvery Madhavan was born and educated in India. She worked as a copywriter in her hometown of Chennai (formerly Madras). Cauvery moved to Ireland thirty-three years ago and has been in love with the country ever since. Here other books are: Paddy Indian and The Uncoupling. She lives with her husband and three children in beautiful County Kildare

Reviews
'A wonderful story by a very wonderful writer' Sebastian Barry;'Cauvery Madhavan's evocative narrative spins together the intriguing lives of her characters over nearly seven decades and makes The Tainted a riveting read. A moving story, compellingly told' Shashi Tharoor; 'A treat of a novel, deliciously detailed, full of living, breathing characters, transporting you effortlessly through time. Cauvery Madhavan has written another unmissable book' Maggie Gee; 'Utterly mesmerising and engrossing, beautifully crafted' Mita Mistry, Eastern Eye; A compelling and assured novel of conflicting loyalties and conjoined pasts that resurrects forgotten histories of the Irish in India' Namita Gokhale; 'Loved it, an incredible book! This hugely accomplished novel shows all the shades of Indian society' Sue Leonard; ' Beautifully written...gripping and moving. A natural talent!' Mary Stanley ; 'A beautifully crafted Indo- Irish novel which is both compassionate and heart wrenching in equal measure. Want a 'diverse book' to read in 2020? This fits the bill. It is a must read' Leela Soma ; 'An absolute triumph, which uses a little-known episode in Irish history - the mutiny of the Connaught Rangers in 1920 - to bring a fictional recreation of colonial and modern India to life. It is another important piece in a century-long legacy that continues to shape both Indian and Irish identity' Dr Mario Draper, Lecture in military history; 'This beautifully written novel tells the tragic story of two people caught in a no man's land of identity and how trauma can transmit itself from one generation to the next often in ways that we never fully understand' Ronan McGreevy, Irish Times; 'Madhavan's characters are so compelling that I was drawn into the love triangle she portrays and found myself falling for May, an Anglo-India beauty like her grandmother Rose (don't tell my wife). The elegance of the writing, the vivid evocation of India in two different eras and the strength of the characters all drew me in and kept me turning the pages. I was sorry when the novel was over' BOOKS IRELAND; 'Cauvery Madhavan' meticulous new novel is based on the aftermath of a real-life mutiny by Irish troops in India. Her novel has been compared with Sebastian Barry's A LONG LONG WAY. Amid the vivid historical and political account, there lies a beguiling love story. Anglo-Indians tended to be seen as "evidence of sexual transgression within the ranks", Madhavan knows all too well the parallels between Ireland and India in that regard' INDEPENDENT IE


Awards
Runner-up for SAHR Prize for Military Fiction 2020.



Book Information
ISBN 9781916467187
Author Cauvery Madhavan
Format Paperback
Page Count 336
Imprint HopeRoad
Publisher HopeRoad Publishing Ltd