Twenty-one-year-old Kabir Menon loves living in Hyderabad, has no idea what he wants to do with his life and believes that his fate is inexorably linked to the fortunes of the Indian cricket team. In the land of super-powered deities, the only ones that matter to him are gods made on the cricket pitch.
But when divisive forces unspool the peace in his multi-cultural community, Kabir unwittingly finds himself embroiled in the conflict. Forced to move to Mumbai, he navigates love, purpose and a sense of belonging amongst a colourful cast of characters. The ensuing coming-of-age story is an unforgettably hilarious and pacy rendering of what it means to find your place in the world and the choices you make to get there.
Set at the turn of the millennium when India was shifting gears, Amrish Kumar’s sparkling debut is a story of many firsts – in equal parts charming and convincing.
Review
...an engrossing story that captures, in fluent and moving prose, so many angles of Indian life – cricket, religion, love, dislocation, communal violence, ethics, values, and more – in language that is vivid and lyrical. - Dr Shashi Tharoor
Amrish Kumar uses cricket as motif and metaphor to bring alive the milieu of the times through a kaleidoscopic cast of characters, richly fleshed out, making Gods of Willow a compelling read. -Ayaz Memon
About the Author
Amrish Kumar is an entrepreneur who has spent over a decade working in Indian textiles as the managing director of brand ‘Ritu Kumar’. His desire to be heard have resulted in him building a record label, an internet film venture and leaving a trail of long suffering friends and family. He has an MBA and is a fellow of the Aspen Institute. Gods of Willow is his first novel