The Last Pretence by Sarayu Srivatsa

Set in a small town on the Coromandel Coast, The Last Pretence explores love, gender, sexuality and family through a haunting and deeply complex story.

The Last Pretence by Sarayu Srivatsa is a literary novel set in Machilipatnam, a small town on the Coromandel Coast of South India during the period of British colonial rule.

The story brings together a memorable cast of characters, including Ammamai, a widow who refuses to be defined by convention; Saroja, an outspoken intellectual; Kamala, who runs a Victorian dyes factory; and Raman, a mosquito scientist whose work leads him to the Raman Technique. Their lives intersect with those of Elizabeth Gibbs and others in a story that explores complicated relationships, desire and social expectations.

The novel tackles love, gender, sexuality, family and social convention, described on the cover as a haunting and erotic story that takes nothing for granted.

Book Details

• Author: Sarayu Srivatsa
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Language: English
• ISBN: 978-81-7223-933-6
• Genre / Category: Fiction
• Format: Paperback
• Original MRP: ₹299