• Bluesky
• X
• Print
• Facebook
• WhatsApp

Thank you to Midas for the opportunity to be part of the Longlist Celebration for the Swansea University Dylan Thomas Prize. I was gifted a copy of The Fertile Earth by Ruthvika Rao, and full disclosure—it’s probably not a book I would have picked up on my own. But I was meant to read it.

It’s beautiful, haunting, and unforgettable.

Blurb

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A Powerful, Heart-Wrenching Read

Wow. The Fertile Earth by Ruthvika Rao left me absolutely breathless. This is one of those books that grabs hold of your heart and refuses to let go. It’s beautifully written, deeply emotional, and completely immersive.

I don’t typically gravitate towards political themes in fiction, but in this novel, politics wasn’t just a backdrop—it was a vital force shaping the characters’ lives. Rao weaves history and personal struggle together so seamlessly that I felt the weight of every moment, every decision, every consequence. The post-Independence turmoil in India isn’t just something the characters react to—it defines them, pushing them into choices they never thought they’d have to make.

The relationships in this book—especially the forbidden, aching pull between Vijaya and Krishna—are intense. Their love is raw and complicated, tangled in class divides and the shifting tides of a country in upheaval. The friendships, the betrayals, the unbearable longing—it’s all so real, so deeply felt. I was completely wrecked by the ending.

If you love stories that break your heart and put it back together, that make you feel every ounce of hope and despair, The Fertile Earth is a must-read. This book deserves all the praise it’s getting—and then some.

Buy Link

Follow the Tour

KELLY’S INSTAGRAM

https://twitter.com/KellyALacey

Click below to learn more about my book publicity services!

In the name of full transparency, please be aware that this blog
contains affiliate links and any purchases made through such links will result in a small commission for us (at no extra cost for you).