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There are currently 17 member reviews
for The Fertile Earth
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Beth B. (New Wilmington, PA)
The Fertile Earth by Ruthvika Rao
Can a person actually live without looking back? Can life's pain be managed? Would it be possible to be given the strength to say no?
This complex novel offers rich possibilities for discussion groups or a college literature class largely due to themes such as power, difficult familial relationships, importance of wealth and material holdings, political insurrection, etc.
I was drawn into the book immediately and loved the majority of it but found gaps of sequence that made it difficult to be cohesive. Not being familiar with this period of history in India, it provided background for a story of enduring love, family devotion, the bond between sisters and that of brother with brother.
The author exhibited skill in creating copious lyrical passages such as "Krisha lived within her like a melody." My favorite section dealt with a journey to capture a tiger. My main criticism was with the weakness of the title and cover art.
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Laurie B. (Jacksonville, FL)
mixed reaction
I wanted to really like this book. It is well written but for me the story line was muddled and dragged in places. The characters were interesting, but I didn't quite connect with any of them. It may be that I didn't enjoy the political story line, I'm just not sure why I couldn't get into this book
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Marianne L. (Syosset, NY)
Not Quite Fertile
I was rather disappointed in the book, The Fertile Earth by Ruthvika Rao. While I am interested in novels that highlight class differences and political upheaval across decades, I thought this book did not develop the characters deeply enough to make them believable to me. I did enjoy the picturesque settings in this book that really brought the locations to life and added to this reader's appreciation of the character's surroundings. However, I found a considerable effort was required in understanding regional vocabulary used frequently enough to interrupt the flow of a passage. Overall, I was not a fan of this book.
