Pethavan

Book excerpt: When Bhakkiyam falls in love with a Dalit sub-inspector, death is the only punishment that will satisfy her village panchayat. Pazhani, her father, is ordered to kill her. But how can a father murder his own daughter? Imayam's powerful tale about caste bitterness--sickness that continues to plague Indian society--eerily preceded an actual event that occurred two months later. The narrative, constructed on short, crisp dialogues, is an unflinching account of the ugliness and trauma that await those who dare to transcend caste borders.