Red River: A Novel

‘This riveting novel that follows the lives of three boys growing up during the 1980s in Assam is a reminder of where xenophobia can take us, what othering can do at its worst. Rana, Rizu and Samar represent three facets of masculinity, three figures in a rake’s progress, three responses to an atmosphere of violence. Required reading.’ — Jerry Pinto, author of The Education of Yuri and Em and the Big Hoom

‘Red River is a powerful, moving and thrilling tale—epic in scale while richly rooted in the fractured borderlands of friendship, love, identity and geography. It has such depth, texture and joy, with that universal, important question at its core: how can we break free from the traumas of the past? Are we fated to repeat them? Is there redemption? Can there be reconciliation?’ — Olivia Fraser

‘With fluency and an unerring eye for detail, Somnath Batabyal has produced a moving, compelling masterpiece that must rank among the best political novels in English to come out of the region. His finely sketched protagonists are from a deeply troubled time in Assam, Bhutan, Bengal and Bangladesh. Love and hate, loyalty and betrayal singe the pages. I did not want the book to end and, at times, found myself close to tears.’ — Sanjoy Hazarika, author of Strangers of the Mist

‘A modern epic of three boyhood friends and shifting loyalties in a conflict-lashed land. Somnath Batabyal’s characters became real to me; a miraculous, heartbreaking, unforgettable novel.’ — Nilanjana Roy, author of Black River