"The Great Nepali Novel is here! I haven't read a better book in ages." - PRAJWAL PARAJULY, author of The Gurkha's Daughter

"Smriti Ravindra's first novel is a magnificent tale of growing up as an outsider. Her protagonist combines a prickly individuality and a strange relatability. And this despite the brooding presence of a mother whose love is veined by her own demons. If you have loved and wondered why, you will want to read this book." - JERRY PINTO, author of The Education of Yuri

"The Woman Who Climbed Trees is the achingly beautiful story of one family's search for fulfilment amid the deep psychological wounds inflicted by Nepali society. Smriti Ravindra is a gifted storyteller, evoking the many inner dislocations that Meena and Manmohan suffer as they move through Sabaila, Kathmandu, Darbhanga, and Janakpur to forge a family life together. Amid the instability of their cross-border identity, they and their children Adi and Preeti discover, by turn, that while a few of their desires can find expression, most cannot. With great empathy and skill, Ravindra captures the longing, frustration, and hurt that marks the Madhesi experience. This is a remarkable novel by an exceptionally talented writer, and an essential read for those interested in Nepal and its borderlands." -MANJUSHREE THAPA, author of All of Us in Our Own Lives

"The Woman Who Climbed Trees is a searing tale of trauma, separation and the circumscription of women's lives on either side of the Indo-Nepal border. This debut novel shines with vivid detail, weaving in folklore and modern cinematic references to create a portrait of heartbreak and maternal love." - ANNIE ZAIDI, author of Prelude to a Riot

"A lyrical, furious triumph of a novel, mapping the marital journey of its protagonist, Meena, from girlhood to motherhood, from India to Nepal, from prosaic reality to magical madness. In the tradition of Salman Rushdie and Isabel Allende, Smriti Ravindra braids epic lore and myth to a narrative of claustrophobic domesticity, earthly damage, and incandescent love." - MARIA DAHVANA HEADLEY, author of Beowulf: A New Translation

"Through a mix of ghost stories, myths, and songs, Ravindra examines the way that women are expected to reshape their lives for men and the pain that comes with leaving everything behind. When fourteen-year-old Meena marries a man from Nepal, she moves with him to Kathmandu and quickly grows to abhor him, despite their two children together. Meena's discontent is tempered only by the solace she finds in the women around her and their stories of being uprooted." - HARPER'S BAZAAR

"Ravindra debuts with a stunning chronicle of an Indian woman's coming-of-age . . . Many Indian and Nepali stories, songs, and myths anchor the narrative, and by the end . . . their meaning in relation to Meena becomes increasingly complex. This is electrifying." - PUBLISHERS WEEKLY (STARRED REVIEW)