HT reviewer Akankshya Abismruta picks her favourite read of 2025
Rural India found: translated from the original Telugu, this book shows how dependent humans are on forests for livelihood
Rural India doesn’t have much representation in Indian fiction in English. But, every once in a while, a book comes along that reminds us that villages still exist as do their associated communities struggling to make a living. One such book is Tiger Lessons by Sannapureddy Venkatarami Reddy, translated from Telugu by Narasimha Kumar, that shows how dependent humans are on forests for livelihood.
In the absence of rain, shepherds living near the Nallamalla hills in Andhra Pradesh decide to take their flocks into the forests for their survival. Ravi, a young man in his twenties and the first person from his community to receive a formal education, is also expected to participate in this despite knowing nothing about shepherding. His father had high hopes when he went to Hyderabad for a BTech degree. Yet, Ravi has been unemployed over the years, and has returned to the village. He is terrified but slowly learns from his community about how to combat his weaknesses and discover his strengths in ways that eventually help in his career path.
The story not only centralises a marginalised community but also creates characters that are distinctly shaped within it. It elicits empathy, and the reader hears different views on farmer suicides, education, and life in general. The older men wise in their experiences tease the hot-blooded younger ones who are vying for social and environmental justice. The women play significant roles as decision-makers of households. The book focuses on the individual’s need for community even as it initiates larger discussions on human dependency on the natural world.
The Telugu idioms, the natural world of ravines and rivers, the endless walks to find water, and the action sequences with wild animals including the feared tiger, create a fantastic story. Nowhere in the story has a magical element been introduced. Yet, the archetypes are so strong that the reader is reminded of the works of Tolkien. The only difference is that Tiger Lessons is deeply grounded in the reality of a community that continues to exist despite rampant deforestation and urbanisation across India. This is definitely a must-read for rural India continues to exist, if not in English, then definitely in translation!
Akankshya Abismruta is an independent writer.
