Shining Hero

In a village outside modern-day Calcutta, a young girl sends a baby floating down a sacred river towards an unknown destiny. The river will ultimately link the fate of young Karna to that of a host of other characters: his teenage mother, Koonty; his half-brother and rival, Arjuna; his destitute foster mother, Dolly; as well as ruthless street thugs, pariahs, and film stars. In this enchanting novel, which dips luxuriously into the richness of Indian myth and Hindu legend, Sara Banerji takes us on an exhilarating ride from the underworld of Calcutta, to Bollywood, up into the Himalayas, culminating—as the brothers fight for fame and fortune—in a race to the death that only one can win.