The Chicago native currently makes her home on the east coast, even though she has said her heart will always be in the Midwest.Īs a first generation American citizen, Vaishnavi Patel’s writing is for the most part informed by her Indian heritage. Kaikeyi, the novel that made her famous, is an adaptation of the Ramayana myth from Indian folklore that is told from the point of view of the evil stepmother. Some of the things she loves doing include making hotdish, knitting, drinking hot chocolate and ice skating. When she is not writing her novels, she can usually be found doing typically midwestern hobbies. The author was brought up in the suburbs of Chicago. Since then she has made a name for herself writing novels at the intersection of anti colonialism, feminism and Indian myth. When she first wrote her novel, she was a law student studying civil rights and constitutional law. (Apr.Vaishnavi Patel is a fantasy fiction novelist best known for her debut novel “Kaikeyi,” that she published in 2022. Agent: Lucienne Diver, the Knight Agency. This easily earns its place on shelves alongside Madeline Miller’s Circe. Readers familiar with the source text will be wowed by Patel’s reimagining, while those new to the story will be won over by its powerful, multilayered heroine and epic scope.
Throughout her life, Kaikeyi often recalls a story her mother told of a woman who could not avoid the punishment of man, even when the fault of her actions fell upon a god himself-but the tale’s true message is lost on her until it’s too late. Still, Kaikeyi earns her place at her husband’s side, wins the love of her subjects, and raises a son, Rama. Then Kaikeyi is unwillingly married off to the Raja of Kosala, where her lack of friends and allies means the bonds of the Binding Plane operate differently. In between all her new work, she turns to the palace’s scrolls on magic and learns how to enter the Binding Plane, where she can exert a magical influence over others using the invisible strings that connect her to them. When her mother is banished, Kaikeyi is forced to take up her duties in the royal court. As the only girl of eight royal siblings, Kaikeyi grows up knowing her value as a person is determined by her eventual marriage. Patel’s mesmerizing debut shines a brilliant light on the vilified queen from the Ramayana.
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