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Indian Country
In this fearless novel from the award-winning author of Girls Burn Brighter, a couple from India—so different from generations of white colonialists who came before them—move to Montana, only to discover how brutal and unforgiving hubris can be.
Janavi and Sagar were never meant to end up married. Janavi is a wonderfully independent, young modern Indian woman. She works for an organizaiton in India that helps street children, often lost to the world of human trafficking. Sagar is a trained hydraulic engineer, an expert in dam construction. He is the least favorite son, his parents never able to forgive him for an unspeakable act from his past. Sagar seeks refuge in his daydreams of one day finding hidden treasures in the fabled Indian river, the Ganges.
Yet the two are forced together into an arranged marriage which neither of them wants. Even worse, Sagar has already accepted a job in America, in a strange place called Montana, where he will be in charge of dismantling a dam.
Montana upends all their expectations. Sagar's white colleagues do not welcome him with open arms, and Janavi finds herself unable to forgive her sister who stayed behind in India whose betrayal led her to this marriage and this strange place.
When a colleague of Sagar's is found drowned, Sagar is the obvious scapegoat. But is this death one in a long history of people of color paying the price for the white man's arrogance and expansionism?
Just like the Ganges river that dominates Sagar's dreams, thoughout the novel runs short historical stories of settlers who conquered, both the west and India, who form the foundation upon which Sagar and Janavi stand.
A bold, ambitious, stunningly beautiful yet brutal novel about colonialism and the rippling ramifications still felt today, Indian Country is a tour de force modern-day classic.
Janavi and Sagar were never meant to end up married. Janavi is a wonderfully independent, young modern Indian woman. She works for an organizaiton in India that helps street children, often lost to the world of human trafficking. Sagar is a trained hydraulic engineer, an expert in dam construction. He is the least favorite son, his parents never able to forgive him for an unspeakable act from his past. Sagar seeks refuge in his daydreams of one day finding hidden treasures in the fabled Indian river, the Ganges.
Yet the two are forced together into an arranged marriage which neither of them wants. Even worse, Sagar has already accepted a job in America, in a strange place called Montana, where he will be in charge of dismantling a dam.
Montana upends all their expectations. Sagar's white colleagues do not welcome him with open arms, and Janavi finds herself unable to forgive her sister who stayed behind in India whose betrayal led her to this marriage and this strange place.
When a colleague of Sagar's is found drowned, Sagar is the obvious scapegoat. But is this death one in a long history of people of color paying the price for the white man's arrogance and expansionism?
Just like the Ganges river that dominates Sagar's dreams, thoughout the novel runs short historical stories of settlers who conquered, both the west and India, who form the foundation upon which Sagar and Janavi stand.
A bold, ambitious, stunningly beautiful yet brutal novel about colonialism and the rippling ramifications still felt today, Indian Country is a tour de force modern-day classic.
592 pages, Paperback
First published August 5, 2025
130 people are currently reading
11088 people want to read
About the author
Shobha Rao
6 books579 followersShobha Rao moved to the United States from India at the age of seven. She is the author of the short story collection, AN UNRESTORED WOMAN, and the novels, GIRLS BURN BRIGHTER and INDIAN COUNTRY. Rao is the winner of the Katherine Anne Porter Prize in Fiction and was a Grace Paley Teaching Fellow at The New School. Her story “Kavitha and Mustafa” was chosen by T.C. Boyle for inclusion in Best American Short Stories. GIRLS BURN BRIGHTER was long listed for the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize and was a finalist for the California Book Award and the Goodreads Choice Awards. She lives in San Francisco.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 125 reviews
January 8, 2026
A book with a powerful message, Indian Country follows Janavi and Sagar, a couple from India who move to the United States, specifically Montana. Janavi struggles with the loss of her job in India and a betrayal from her sister, while Sagar’s white coworkers in Montana ostracize and discriminate against him. The two try to navigate their new terrain amidst the backdrop of history and all the injustices that came prior to them.
I give this book four stars mostly because Shobha Rao does infuse Janavi and Sagar’s journey with heart. They were each well-developed, three-dimensional characters and I felt for them and their journeys. I do think the prose was a bit long and verbose at times though there were certain passages about each character that moved me and evoked genuine emotion. We love seeing characters of color find purpose and community with one another even though they shouldn’t have to deal with patriarchy, white supremacy, etc.! The slowly built-out bond between Janavi and Sagar warmed my heart.
I also appreciated Rao’s commentary about colonialism and the perils of westward expansion and white supremacy. I can see what other reviewers mean about how Rao distracts from the main narrative by including chapters from history that aren’t directly tied to Janavi and Sagar’s plot. In ways that made this book feel more like a “message book.” So, I don’t think this novel was perfect, but I liked Janavi and Sagar as characters and agree with Rao’s overarching themes, so I give it four stars.
I give this book four stars mostly because Shobha Rao does infuse Janavi and Sagar’s journey with heart. They were each well-developed, three-dimensional characters and I felt for them and their journeys. I do think the prose was a bit long and verbose at times though there were certain passages about each character that moved me and evoked genuine emotion. We love seeing characters of color find purpose and community with one another even though they shouldn’t have to deal with patriarchy, white supremacy, etc.! The slowly built-out bond between Janavi and Sagar warmed my heart.
I also appreciated Rao’s commentary about colonialism and the perils of westward expansion and white supremacy. I can see what other reviewers mean about how Rao distracts from the main narrative by including chapters from history that aren’t directly tied to Janavi and Sagar’s plot. In ways that made this book feel more like a “message book.” So, I don’t think this novel was perfect, but I liked Janavi and Sagar as characters and agree with Rao’s overarching themes, so I give it four stars.
August 19, 2025
A newly (and reluctantly) married Indian couple move to Montana where the husband has gotten a job dismantling a dam, a project that has been controversial for years. There is a lot going on in this book. Both Janavi and Sagar have complicated and unresolved relationships with their siblings. They have to settle into their arranged marriage and Janavi is bored and misses her work with poor children. Coming from a large city, they find Montana, which is basically empty, disconcerting and its citizens are unwelcoming (and armed). When Sagar’s. Native American colleague drowns, her death is blamed on the dam project, and Sagar takes the fall.
If all of that wasn’t enough, the author has interspersed the book with many unrelated vignettes. Some of them were interesting and some tragic, but all of them distracted from the main story and felt like filler. I enjoyed the main characters and the writing. This would have been 5 stars without the distraction.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.
If all of that wasn’t enough, the author has interspersed the book with many unrelated vignettes. Some of them were interesting and some tragic, but all of them distracted from the main story and felt like filler. I enjoyed the main characters and the writing. This would have been 5 stars without the distraction.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.
October 19, 2025
Thank you Crown Publishing for sending me a free copy!
3.75⭐️ out of 5
Janavi and Sagar get married not because they are in love but due to their families’ wishes. When Sagar accepts a job as an engineer on a dam project, the couple moves from their home country of India to Montana. A harsh reality awaits them as life is far removed from the so called American Dream.
An interesting novel with a lot to unpack and examine. While most of the story revolves around Janavi and Sagar, vignettes are also included featuring people throughout the years with bodies of water being what ties everything together. While I was strongly invested in the married couple, my interest level waned at times when the story would shift to the vignettes. They certainly serve a purpose but it did make for a semi disjointed reading experience. The present day story is the driving force.
A fascinating read that examines the immigrant experience in America as well as the lives of Natives.
3.75⭐️ out of 5
Janavi and Sagar get married not because they are in love but due to their families’ wishes. When Sagar accepts a job as an engineer on a dam project, the couple moves from their home country of India to Montana. A harsh reality awaits them as life is far removed from the so called American Dream.
An interesting novel with a lot to unpack and examine. While most of the story revolves around Janavi and Sagar, vignettes are also included featuring people throughout the years with bodies of water being what ties everything together. While I was strongly invested in the married couple, my interest level waned at times when the story would shift to the vignettes. They certainly serve a purpose but it did make for a semi disjointed reading experience. The present day story is the driving force.
A fascinating read that examines the immigrant experience in America as well as the lives of Natives.
July 7, 2025
Easily the best book I’ve read so far this year.
IndieNext review:
Much like both the Ganges River and the Cotton River that this story takes place upon the banks of, Shobha Rao’s INDIAN COUNTRY is a dynamic, propulsive, humbling, and centering triumph. It follows Sagar and Janavi, a couple brought together through arranged marriage, as they journey from India to rural Montana for Sagar’s new engineering job on a river dam. Amidst their struggles to adjust to each other and their new surroundings, the narrative is interspersed with short historical stories of characters who colonized both India and the American West. This multi-layered approach to storytelling complicates Sagar and Janavi’s immigration story, commenting on colonialism’s ever-present hand in our world today. Rao’s writing is absolutely arresting with vivid imagery and the powerful motif of the river throughout. (P.S. For fellow high school ELA teachers: This will be a perfect addition to my American Dream Lit Circles unit!)
IndieNext review:
Much like both the Ganges River and the Cotton River that this story takes place upon the banks of, Shobha Rao’s INDIAN COUNTRY is a dynamic, propulsive, humbling, and centering triumph. It follows Sagar and Janavi, a couple brought together through arranged marriage, as they journey from India to rural Montana for Sagar’s new engineering job on a river dam. Amidst their struggles to adjust to each other and their new surroundings, the narrative is interspersed with short historical stories of characters who colonized both India and the American West. This multi-layered approach to storytelling complicates Sagar and Janavi’s immigration story, commenting on colonialism’s ever-present hand in our world today. Rao’s writing is absolutely arresting with vivid imagery and the powerful motif of the river throughout. (P.S. For fellow high school ELA teachers: This will be a perfect addition to my American Dream Lit Circles unit!)
May 22, 2025
A tale of betrayal and redemption and finding your voice. Indian Country follows Janavi and Saagar during the course of their lives and their journey from India to Montana.
This story had an interesting premise and while I never disliked it, it didn't exactly keep me riveted. I wish more of Renny's story and the story of the indigenous women had been told. I also could have done without the little miniature stories about the Ganges and the Cotton River throughout history. Some of them were more interesting than others, but none of them felt necessary or like they really added that much to the overall plot. I feel like those chapters would have been better suited for providing the reader with information about Renny and her past.
This story had an interesting premise and while I never disliked it, it didn't exactly keep me riveted. I wish more of Renny's story and the story of the indigenous women had been told. I also could have done without the little miniature stories about the Ganges and the Cotton River throughout history. Some of them were more interesting than others, but none of them felt necessary or like they really added that much to the overall plot. I feel like those chapters would have been better suited for providing the reader with information about Renny and her past.
August 6, 2025
Thanks to Crown Publishing for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This is the third title I’ve read by Rao and I will keeping seeking out her books. Her writing here is beautiful and evocative (please see quotes below); and her storycrafting is smart and creative. I think she’s a master at the cliffhanger which occur frequently at the end of chapters.
The structure of this book consists of the main storyline and several vignettes. The latter rounds out elements in the main story. Each of these is tragic or near tragic.
The main story reverently features rivers and tells of the stories of a couple, Javani and Sagar. I especially appreciated that both Janavi’s and Sagar’s perspectives have “equal time.” We come to see each of their lives around rivers and later when they immigrate to Montana where the action picks up.
Rao creates this quiet tension and maintains a solid pacing (and careful plotting. I characterize this book as a mystery. And I’ll reveal is rather obvious as the foreshadowing is plain. But that quiet tension builds and kept me turning the pages.
I enjoyed this book and remain a fan of Rao.
Quotes
Death could do that, make both things true: the knowing and the waiting.
Janavi cried for her dead mother, she cried for her grief-stricken sister, but she also cried for the lost years. As the waters of the holy river surged around her, she thought they were surging with her shame, but really, they were surging with her life.
He smiled at Rajni, and then at Janavi. She would’ve called it a winning smile, but she knew that, despite his adolescence, or maybe because of it, he was so used to winning that the smile was simply a confirmation, not an eagerness.
That stood in the way all beautiful things stood, without knowing it.
He always knew water could be hungry, on the outflow side of dams where it was starved for sediment, but this was the first time, in all the rivers of his life, that he thought, It can also be lonely.
He sat in the dark, staring at the television screen, eating cold fries, listening to his new wife breathing beside him, his new life developing like a negative in the dark, and he thought, with a keening ache, There are so many kinds of walls … and how strange that the ones made of stone and steel are the easiest to take down.
It was only now, thousands of miles away, that he understood why so many of the rivers in India were named for goddesses. For women. Somewhere, in an ancient time, someone who’d named the rivers of the Indus Valley had understood a small thing: that what is embraced and what will embrace in return are rarely the same.
It was only now, thousands of miles away, that he understood why so many of the rivers in India were named for goddesses. For women. Somewhere, in an ancient time, someone who’d named the rivers of the Indus Valley had understood a small thing: that what is embraced and what will embrace in return are rarely the same.
They had in them a strange and brutal reserve. She sensed it most when his younger brother, Sandeep, was in the room. Almost as if his presence were the lens that magnified their strangeness.
They found a patch of sedge grass that overlooked the reservoir. Sagar settled himself against a clump of it. The prairie was behind him, but he could feel it. He could feel it like a presence, not a ghostly presence, but a solid one. Like a boulder.
It wasn’t true that America had no official language, was it? It had one: Guns.
But what Beatrice was thinking (watching the way the woman barely regarded Johnny, and completely disregarded his charms) was that the best thing she could do was show him something about being a man, by pointing out (in you, Johnny) the boy.
Perhaps that was the essence of freedom, she thought, to not have to run to feel the wind, but to be able to feel it standing perfectly still.
This is the third title I’ve read by Rao and I will keeping seeking out her books. Her writing here is beautiful and evocative (please see quotes below); and her storycrafting is smart and creative. I think she’s a master at the cliffhanger which occur frequently at the end of chapters.
The structure of this book consists of the main storyline and several vignettes. The latter rounds out elements in the main story. Each of these is tragic or near tragic.
The main story reverently features rivers and tells of the stories of a couple, Javani and Sagar. I especially appreciated that both Janavi’s and Sagar’s perspectives have “equal time.” We come to see each of their lives around rivers and later when they immigrate to Montana where the action picks up.
Rao creates this quiet tension and maintains a solid pacing (and careful plotting. I characterize this book as a mystery. And I’ll reveal is rather obvious as the foreshadowing is plain. But that quiet tension builds and kept me turning the pages.
I enjoyed this book and remain a fan of Rao.
Quotes
Death could do that, make both things true: the knowing and the waiting.
Janavi cried for her dead mother, she cried for her grief-stricken sister, but she also cried for the lost years. As the waters of the holy river surged around her, she thought they were surging with her shame, but really, they were surging with her life.
He smiled at Rajni, and then at Janavi. She would’ve called it a winning smile, but she knew that, despite his adolescence, or maybe because of it, he was so used to winning that the smile was simply a confirmation, not an eagerness.
That stood in the way all beautiful things stood, without knowing it.
He always knew water could be hungry, on the outflow side of dams where it was starved for sediment, but this was the first time, in all the rivers of his life, that he thought, It can also be lonely.
He sat in the dark, staring at the television screen, eating cold fries, listening to his new wife breathing beside him, his new life developing like a negative in the dark, and he thought, with a keening ache, There are so many kinds of walls … and how strange that the ones made of stone and steel are the easiest to take down.
It was only now, thousands of miles away, that he understood why so many of the rivers in India were named for goddesses. For women. Somewhere, in an ancient time, someone who’d named the rivers of the Indus Valley had understood a small thing: that what is embraced and what will embrace in return are rarely the same.
It was only now, thousands of miles away, that he understood why so many of the rivers in India were named for goddesses. For women. Somewhere, in an ancient time, someone who’d named the rivers of the Indus Valley had understood a small thing: that what is embraced and what will embrace in return are rarely the same.
They had in them a strange and brutal reserve. She sensed it most when his younger brother, Sandeep, was in the room. Almost as if his presence were the lens that magnified their strangeness.
They found a patch of sedge grass that overlooked the reservoir. Sagar settled himself against a clump of it. The prairie was behind him, but he could feel it. He could feel it like a presence, not a ghostly presence, but a solid one. Like a boulder.
It wasn’t true that America had no official language, was it? It had one: Guns.
But what Beatrice was thinking (watching the way the woman barely regarded Johnny, and completely disregarded his charms) was that the best thing she could do was show him something about being a man, by pointing out (in you, Johnny) the boy.
Perhaps that was the essence of freedom, she thought, to not have to run to feel the wind, but to be able to feel it standing perfectly still.
July 1, 2025
need to process that ending
August 25, 2025
I reluctantly stopped reading after Sagar and Janavi finally get to Montana. I did not connect with the characters, nor the subplots. It did not hold my interest at all, and I had trouble sitting down to read something that I had begun to dread. After years of reading every book, once I started it, I finally accepted that my time is better spent reading something that truly held my interest. Maybe at some future date I will try to complete this particular book.
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October 23, 2025I really enjoyed reading a story about immigrants wrestling with Native issues. So often, stories about Indian- American immigrants describe the land we leave behind, but this book also centered the land we come to and the people whom we take from. An immigrant brown man grappling with our country’s violence towards Native brown women was a refreshing & interesting plot. I wasn’t the biggest fan of the interlude stories, but overall a good read with beautiful odes to rivers!
October 5, 2025
While this wasn’t a bad book by any means, I struggled to stay invested in the story. Janavi and Sagar were really well written as individuals and I enjoyed watching their dynamic as a couple shift as they got to know each other. Every star I’m giving this book is because of those two. I couldn’t care less about anyone else. The vignettes we got every couple of chapters didn’t enhance anything in my opinion. If anything, they distracted from the main story, and made an already sad book even harder to get through.
September 27, 2025
Beautifully written and very dark novel with many themes, the most vivid being misogyny, followed closely by racism. Through the main plot and a series of historical vignettes, the book underscores over and over that across culture, place, and time, women--no matter how strong and independent--may at any moment be victimized by men. The pacing felt a bit off to me, with gradual plot development followed by sudden bombshells. And the vignettes, despite great diversity in framing, have similar and predictably grim outcomes. Four stars for the distinctive premise, excellent writing, and important albeit depressing themes.
December 23, 2025
Janavi and Sagar move from India to Montana for love--but not for the love of each other. Sagar loves rivers, including the Ganges, after which Janavi is named. He's just been hired to lead a controversial dam removal project in a small Montana town. Janavi loves her job helping the street children of Varanasi, but not more than she loves her sister, who was supposed to marry Sagar. When her sister begs her to marry Sagar in her place, Janavi reluctantly agrees and, months later, she's in an unfamiliar country with an unfamiliar man. But, when Sagar's only Native colleague drowns near the dam, Sagar and Janavi must work together to dredge the secrets of Montana's past from wherever they have been sunk.
This novel is brutal, moving, tender, and so well-executed. Interwoven with Janavi and Sagar's story are vignettes about rivers, and the lives of those who live near them. Many of these stories relate to overarching themes of the novel: the violence women--especially women of marginalized identities--experience at the hand of men; and the violence of colonization. Though not directly related to the action of the novel, they help to contextualize so much of the story. Both the vignettes and the main narrative are so vivid, so alive, and so well-described. I had a sense of place for all the locations, none of which I'd ever been to.
My only critique is that I would have liked to learn more about Renny and the other MMIW--who were they before they were murdered? Renny is a private person, but we learn a bit about her posthumously from members of her tribe. I felt that, though I can see why Janavi and Sagar want to find the truth, they almost forgot to ask about Renny as a person--why did she marry her abusive ex? How did she end up working at the excavation site next to the dam? Her death is at the heart of this story, but her humanity almost disappears into the mystery of her death. Still, this is overall a very sensitively handled novel about incredibly difficult subjects.
An interesting side note is that I finished this days after I read The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones, and the two novels are set in the same area of Montana, near Miles City. I would highly recommend both!
This novel is brutal, moving, tender, and so well-executed. Interwoven with Janavi and Sagar's story are vignettes about rivers, and the lives of those who live near them. Many of these stories relate to overarching themes of the novel: the violence women--especially women of marginalized identities--experience at the hand of men; and the violence of colonization. Though not directly related to the action of the novel, they help to contextualize so much of the story. Both the vignettes and the main narrative are so vivid, so alive, and so well-described. I had a sense of place for all the locations, none of which I'd ever been to.
My only critique is that I would have liked to learn more about Renny and the other MMIW--who were they before they were murdered? Renny is a private person, but we learn a bit about her posthumously from members of her tribe. I felt that, though I can see why Janavi and Sagar want to find the truth, they almost forgot to ask about Renny as a person--why did she marry her abusive ex? How did she end up working at the excavation site next to the dam? Her death is at the heart of this story, but her humanity almost disappears into the mystery of her death. Still, this is overall a very sensitively handled novel about incredibly difficult subjects.
An interesting side note is that I finished this days after I read The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones, and the two novels are set in the same area of Montana, near Miles City. I would highly recommend both!
October 19, 2025
I'm worried that I will be voted out of my book club. Lovely sentences but so controlled and reserved that it's at a remove and cold to the touch. A "crime story" the same way Chuck E. Cheese is a pizza place.
October 25, 2025
a deeply moving saga that stretches across timelines and geographies with water as the central theme.
November 15, 2025
Janavi and Sagar are a newly married couple from India relocating to Montana for his work as an engineer. Their arranged marriage brings its own conflicts, as does his job and the reactions to his work on a dam project.
Interspersed with the story are vignettes focused on various women over time facing their own tragedies. Each takes place near a river, a motif of the novel, and each reinforces the novel’s larger theme of violence against women. I enjoyed these stories through time, but not all readers will as they do pull from the main story.
I found the writing here exceptional and the characterization was authentic and at times, heartbreaking.
Interspersed with the story are vignettes focused on various women over time facing their own tragedies. Each takes place near a river, a motif of the novel, and each reinforces the novel’s larger theme of violence against women. I enjoyed these stories through time, but not all readers will as they do pull from the main story.
I found the writing here exceptional and the characterization was authentic and at times, heartbreaking.
November 26, 2025
One of the best books I’ve read in 2025! Part mystery, part love story - this was the story of a young Indian couple who move from India to Montana after an arranged marriage. Husband Sagar, a hydraulic engineer, has taken a job removing a dam on the Cotton River in SE Montana where they encounter racism, isolation, culture shock while living together as virtual strangers. In addition to Sagar and Janavi’s story, there are 12 short interludes throughout book which recount mostly tragic stories that took place along the River going back in time. Well written and riveting book that I hated to end!
January 10, 2026
I wish I liked this more but this burned a little to slowly for me. I really enjoyed Rao's writing style, the whole novel is infused with a poetic voice and beautiful motifs of water, sky, and prairie. The premise for me is very strong and brought to life with interesting characters, but the novel doesn't really hit its stride and start moving until the last third. Unfortunately, the slow burn doesn't quite translate to suspense, which means the plot tends to drag at points. But the text relishes in that contemplative slowness in a rewarding way. With a good screenwriter & director this would translate beautifully to an HBO mini-series.
January 20, 2026
The two main characters are very richly-drawn and their actions make sense. Most of the rest of the characters are fairly two dimensional and I think this is the main misstep in the storytelling. As many have mentioned, the occasional vignettes are a bit jarring, especially when less related to the main story or when needlessly long.
I think this was a fantastic portrait of Indian immigrants in the contemporary US, particularly those who have had arranged marriages. The adjustment to such a different locale than the teeming cities of India was very interesting.
I will probably seek out other works by the author-promising.
I think this was a fantastic portrait of Indian immigrants in the contemporary US, particularly those who have had arranged marriages. The adjustment to such a different locale than the teeming cities of India was very interesting.
I will probably seek out other works by the author-promising.
November 13, 2025
3.5 , rounded up. i wasn’t a huge fan of the narrative style initially but i eventually warmed up to it; there were different interspersed stories/povs from american manifest destiny to the indian independence movement, and while i could see the thematic relevance for some of the stories, others seemed somewhat distracting. the play on the word “indian”—referring to both indigenous people and people from the indian subcontinent—is executed really interestingly because it touches on different issues in the same way. also pretty good pacing& overall i really enjoyed it!
December 20, 2025
This one felt really special. Unique premise, an organic mention of NAGPRA in fiction (that never happens!), the focus on place and its cultural/spiritual/historical importance, the way the land holds memories, the intersection of the stories of two colonized peoples, both of which we call Indian, a love story that doesn't feel forced, an exciting mystery-- this book has it all! I think this one would be fascinating to read in an English class. There's so much to dig into! I couldn't put it down. I would recommend this to fans of North Woods!
August 10, 2025
5 ⭐️ Rao’s writing has its CLAWS in me. This was so tender.
November 27, 2025
Loved the writing, but things got a little muddy when it started to become a crime novel in the last third (unfortunately the literary skill set does not automatically translate into genre fiction).
August 12, 2025
“Indian Country” is a quiet collision of rivers and lives. Sagar, a hydraulic engineer from Varanasi, leaves behind the banks of the Ganga to lead a controversial dam removal project on Montana’s Cotton River. With him is Janavi, his new bride, a stranger bound by arrangement. Their names, however, echo a deep unison: Janavi, is one of the many name for the Ganga, while Sagar Island marks where the river meets the Bay of Bengal.
Both are struck by the dissonance of the American Northwest. Sagar wrestles with the unspoken rules of workplace etiquette: when to speak, how to lead, how not to offend. Janavi navigates America’s symbols through slurpees, hot dogs, and guns. Amid stereotypes and cultural gaps, they find glimmers of connection: an Indigenous woman on the dam project, an older neighbor who gently helps Janavi translate the new culture, among others. Slowly, from the loneliness of being far from home, something fragile also forms between them.
What begins as an immigration story sharpens into something darker. There are simmering tensions around the dam project, whispered resentments in the town, and the haunting sense that Sagar’s presence is unwelcome. When an Indigenous woman is murdered, those tensions snap into focus. Rao doesn’t sensationalize the crime; instead, she builds a careful, layered narrative around the ripple effects of violence against Indigenous people.
Woven between chapters are brief but potent vignettes set along the Ganges and Montana’s Cotton River. These interludes, often marked by loss and disappearance, add emotional weight and expand the novel’s frame. The rivers become more than setting—they carry memory, consequence, and myth, grounding the story in something both intimate and expansive.
The title “Indian Country” carries a deliberate double meaning, referring both to India and Indigenous lands. It’s a thematic gesture that invites readers to consider the parallels between two geographies shaped by colonialism, erasure, and the ongoing violence against women and children.
Sagar and Janavi are morally centered and profoundly relatable leads. Their hopes and pain resonated with me, as did Shobha Rao’s rich ensemble of supporting characters. Rao spares no detail—quirks, backstories, and all—confident her readers will remember them, and I did.
I could easily see “Indian Country” as a Booker Prize contender in 2025, had it been eligible. If I have one critique, it’s the ending. I longed for another hundred pages to stay with these characters.
Both are struck by the dissonance of the American Northwest. Sagar wrestles with the unspoken rules of workplace etiquette: when to speak, how to lead, how not to offend. Janavi navigates America’s symbols through slurpees, hot dogs, and guns. Amid stereotypes and cultural gaps, they find glimmers of connection: an Indigenous woman on the dam project, an older neighbor who gently helps Janavi translate the new culture, among others. Slowly, from the loneliness of being far from home, something fragile also forms between them.
What begins as an immigration story sharpens into something darker. There are simmering tensions around the dam project, whispered resentments in the town, and the haunting sense that Sagar’s presence is unwelcome. When an Indigenous woman is murdered, those tensions snap into focus. Rao doesn’t sensationalize the crime; instead, she builds a careful, layered narrative around the ripple effects of violence against Indigenous people.
Woven between chapters are brief but potent vignettes set along the Ganges and Montana’s Cotton River. These interludes, often marked by loss and disappearance, add emotional weight and expand the novel’s frame. The rivers become more than setting—they carry memory, consequence, and myth, grounding the story in something both intimate and expansive.
The title “Indian Country” carries a deliberate double meaning, referring both to India and Indigenous lands. It’s a thematic gesture that invites readers to consider the parallels between two geographies shaped by colonialism, erasure, and the ongoing violence against women and children.
Sagar and Janavi are morally centered and profoundly relatable leads. Their hopes and pain resonated with me, as did Shobha Rao’s rich ensemble of supporting characters. Rao spares no detail—quirks, backstories, and all—confident her readers will remember them, and I did.
I could easily see “Indian Country” as a Booker Prize contender in 2025, had it been eligible. If I have one critique, it’s the ending. I longed for another hundred pages to stay with these characters.
August 20, 2025
Janavi is a modern Indian woman who has found purpose working on behalf of the street children who otherwise would turn to begging, sex work, or digging through rubbish heaps. She continues to mourn her mother who was struck by a car when she was seven. Her older sister, Rajini, has lots of friends, grows more beautiful by the day, and has more sense than Janavi, who has “more fight in her.”
Sagar is a hydraulic engineer who accepts a job leading the Cotton River Dam Removal Project in Helena, Montana. He is haunted by an accident involving his younger brother Sandeep, and going to Montana is a means of escape from his father’s ridicule. Sagar had been promised to the daughter of old family friends when he was eight years old. He’d once caught a peek of his future wife, Rajini, at a family wedding.
As for Janavi, “the thought of marriage annoyed her — the subservience, the dowry, the boring rituals. She would pick her own husband, and not for a long time to come. She wanted to make something of herself.” Nevertheless, Janavi and Sagar are forced into an arranged marriage which neither of them wants. Sagar knew nothing about love and less about women, and Janavi was “in an unintended country. She had an unintended husband. And the life she’s intended to have? That was gone, and she knew it was gone forever.”
Janavi’s rage at being jobless and alone and abandoned does not permit her to even consider whether Sagar is a good man. She is sick of having nothing to do and nowhere to go. Yet, Janavi and Sagar settle into a convivial friendship which changes when Sagar is scapegoated for the death of a woman who drowned at the dam, and they partner to investigate what they believe was a crime.
Rao depicts the racism that Janavi and Sagar confront in Montana. Janavi notices that people look at her for a moment longer than necessary as if they had never seen an Indian person before. Sagar’s friends at work were a Native American woman and a Mexican man who were the only brown people on the dam project. A man at a bar asks if he is “one of them dot Indians.” Rao also addresses the authorities’ lack of interest in investigating missing indigenous women. Interspersed between the story of the arranged marriage and a murder mystery, are tales from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries centered on the Ganges and Cotton Rivers which reveal myths, legends and crimes against women. Rao has crafted a quietly beautiful novel. Thank you Crown Publishing and Net Galley for an advanced copy of this stunning story that lingers long after the last page.
Sagar is a hydraulic engineer who accepts a job leading the Cotton River Dam Removal Project in Helena, Montana. He is haunted by an accident involving his younger brother Sandeep, and going to Montana is a means of escape from his father’s ridicule. Sagar had been promised to the daughter of old family friends when he was eight years old. He’d once caught a peek of his future wife, Rajini, at a family wedding.
As for Janavi, “the thought of marriage annoyed her — the subservience, the dowry, the boring rituals. She would pick her own husband, and not for a long time to come. She wanted to make something of herself.” Nevertheless, Janavi and Sagar are forced into an arranged marriage which neither of them wants. Sagar knew nothing about love and less about women, and Janavi was “in an unintended country. She had an unintended husband. And the life she’s intended to have? That was gone, and she knew it was gone forever.”
Janavi’s rage at being jobless and alone and abandoned does not permit her to even consider whether Sagar is a good man. She is sick of having nothing to do and nowhere to go. Yet, Janavi and Sagar settle into a convivial friendship which changes when Sagar is scapegoated for the death of a woman who drowned at the dam, and they partner to investigate what they believe was a crime.
Rao depicts the racism that Janavi and Sagar confront in Montana. Janavi notices that people look at her for a moment longer than necessary as if they had never seen an Indian person before. Sagar’s friends at work were a Native American woman and a Mexican man who were the only brown people on the dam project. A man at a bar asks if he is “one of them dot Indians.” Rao also addresses the authorities’ lack of interest in investigating missing indigenous women. Interspersed between the story of the arranged marriage and a murder mystery, are tales from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries centered on the Ganges and Cotton Rivers which reveal myths, legends and crimes against women. Rao has crafted a quietly beautiful novel. Thank you Crown Publishing and Net Galley for an advanced copy of this stunning story that lingers long after the last page.
October 19, 2025
INDIAN COUNTRY by Shobha Rao had so much potential and I truly expected it to be a five star read for me, but sadly, it just did not deliver like I hoped it would. It took me about three weeks to finish this book. That’s a little unheard of for me. The story is a bit long, very slow-moving, and I wasn’t super excited to keep picking it back up. I let it rot on my nightstand for a solid week, to be perfectly honest. However, this could very well be the season of life I’m currently in—reading hasn’t been a big priority lately.
QUICK SYNOPSIS:
“𝘍𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘥-𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘎𝘪𝘳𝘭𝘴 𝘉𝘶𝘳𝘯 𝘉𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘦𝘳, 𝘢 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘐𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘢—𝘴𝘰 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘤𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮—𝘮𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘔𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘢, 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘶𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.”
WHAT WORKED FOR ME:
I’m a sucker for an immigration story, and the author most certainly delivered in this department. She nailed the culture shock, homesickness, and overall transition period.
There’s a hint of mystery throughout with some whodunnit vibes. This added depth, layers, and a lot of darkness to the story.
I absolutely loved the Montana setting. I’ve only visited the state once and have been itching go again.
The marriage between Janavi and Sagar. Their story is a complicated one under very unique circumstances. I’m not sure if I’ve read one quite like theirs before.
WHAT DIDN’T WORK FOR ME:
I craved more Janavi and Sagar. The dynamics of their relationship should have been the main focus, in my opinion. Once they were somewhat settled in Montana, the couple almost seemed like an afterthought.
The author included several vignettes throughout about the Cotton and Gagna rivers, which I actually ended up skipping around the halfway point as they seemed completely pointless to me.
Perhaps this is just a case of the right book at the wrong time, I really can’t say for sure. I’m going with 3/5 stars.
QUICK SYNOPSIS:
“𝘍𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘥-𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘎𝘪𝘳𝘭𝘴 𝘉𝘶𝘳𝘯 𝘉𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘦𝘳, 𝘢 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘐𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘢—𝘴𝘰 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘤𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮—𝘮𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘔𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘢, 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘶𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.”
WHAT WORKED FOR ME:
I’m a sucker for an immigration story, and the author most certainly delivered in this department. She nailed the culture shock, homesickness, and overall transition period.
There’s a hint of mystery throughout with some whodunnit vibes. This added depth, layers, and a lot of darkness to the story.
I absolutely loved the Montana setting. I’ve only visited the state once and have been itching go again.
The marriage between Janavi and Sagar. Their story is a complicated one under very unique circumstances. I’m not sure if I’ve read one quite like theirs before.
WHAT DIDN’T WORK FOR ME:
I craved more Janavi and Sagar. The dynamics of their relationship should have been the main focus, in my opinion. Once they were somewhat settled in Montana, the couple almost seemed like an afterthought.
The author included several vignettes throughout about the Cotton and Gagna rivers, which I actually ended up skipping around the halfway point as they seemed completely pointless to me.
Perhaps this is just a case of the right book at the wrong time, I really can’t say for sure. I’m going with 3/5 stars.
September 5, 2025
Soon after their arranged marriage, Janavi and Sagar move to rural Montana, where Sagar has been hired to take down a dam on the Cotton River. They both have unresolved issues from the past, and they struggle to find a place for themselves in a place that is so different from their own. Both of them have a strong relationship with rivers- Janavi grew up in Varanasi, at the banks of the Ganga after whom she is named, and Sagar, a hydraulic engineer, has always had an affinity for rivers- and even in Montana the river continues to have a hold on them.
When a native American colleague of Sagar's is found dead at the dam site, Sagar is made the fall guy- his contract is terminated and he is informed he has 60 days to leave the country. Sagar and Janavi decide to try and clear his name, and in the process unearth secrets that have been hidden for long. There is enough foreshadowing to make it an engaging "crime novel", but the power of the book is in the other issues it takes on. The immigrant experience, prejudice, the plight of native Americans living in reservations, social power structures, domestic abuse, human trafficking, family dynamics.
The book is told through the perspectives of both Janavi and Sagar, both of whom emerge as strong, empathetic and mildly flawed characters. There are also frequent flashbacks- with every major event setting off the memory of something in the past from which the protagonist learnt something. The book is interspaced with vignettes of numerous other people, each of whom has some connection to rivers (particularly the Ganga or the Cotton river). While each of these vignettes is poignant in itself, they tend to distract from the main storyline and could, perhaps, have been avoided. Through it all flows a river- a mother river with all her moods and caprices.
Definitely a book I would recommend.
When a native American colleague of Sagar's is found dead at the dam site, Sagar is made the fall guy- his contract is terminated and he is informed he has 60 days to leave the country. Sagar and Janavi decide to try and clear his name, and in the process unearth secrets that have been hidden for long. There is enough foreshadowing to make it an engaging "crime novel", but the power of the book is in the other issues it takes on. The immigrant experience, prejudice, the plight of native Americans living in reservations, social power structures, domestic abuse, human trafficking, family dynamics.
The book is told through the perspectives of both Janavi and Sagar, both of whom emerge as strong, empathetic and mildly flawed characters. There are also frequent flashbacks- with every major event setting off the memory of something in the past from which the protagonist learnt something. The book is interspaced with vignettes of numerous other people, each of whom has some connection to rivers (particularly the Ganga or the Cotton river). While each of these vignettes is poignant in itself, they tend to distract from the main storyline and could, perhaps, have been avoided. Through it all flows a river- a mother river with all her moods and caprices.
Definitely a book I would recommend.
September 9, 2025
This dense but rapid read is a literary-cum-mystery-cum-social commentary novel. The story spans two centuries, continents, and rivers (the Ganges and the fictional Cotton River in southeastern Montana). The imagery of rivers and countryside is captivating. The characters of the two protagonists (Sagar and Janavi) are compelling. The story line weaves between present day chapters focusing on the two protagonists and historical mini-stories set in both Montana and India. The later parts of the novel are apparently meant to add an historical thrust to the social-political harms forced on women and indigenous or non-white people. I have mixed feelings about the benefit of these short chapters. They certainly convey the author's message (men, particularly white men and their associated cultures are evil), but they slow the overall narrative which include: the challenges met by immigrants to a country, the insular, non-welcoming nature of some communities, and the growth of love in a couple who have been forced together by family dynamics and a culture of arranged marriage.
Although I really liked this book (finished it in less than a week, despite re-reading several parts), it certainly illustrates the Sequoia-sized chip on the author's shoulder. This accounts for the very flat representations of the villains (all white men) in this story, which I think is a considerable fault.
Overall, it is an excellent read if one can manage to look beyond the author's anger.
Although I really liked this book (finished it in less than a week, despite re-reading several parts), it certainly illustrates the Sequoia-sized chip on the author's shoulder. This accounts for the very flat representations of the villains (all white men) in this story, which I think is a considerable fault.
Overall, it is an excellent read if one can manage to look beyond the author's anger.
June 1, 2025
I was fully immersed in this world from the moment I started reading to the moment I finished. The characters and plot were equally compelling, and each POV character felt fully-realized. I could sympathize with both Janavi and Sagar even when they were at odds or disconnected. I also enjoyed the small stories woven throughout the narrative. It was a great way to add to the world and really made the rivers feel alive.
There were some dark moments and the themes explored could get really heavy, and I think Rao did an amazing job at balancing that darkness with moments of community and hope. It's impossible to portray the harms of colonialism, violence against women and children, and racism without including moments that can be difficult to read. But none of it feels sensationalized or without purpose. We are shown enough to understand what is happening to these characters, but the book doesn't linger in the violence, which is something I really appreciated. We linger in the impact, and the moments after the violence that really shape the world and the people in it.
This is one of those books that I kept thinking about after I finished. There were certain moments and sentiments that really stuck with me, and I think they'll stay with me for quite a while. I really loved this book, and definitely recommend checking it out if you get the chance.
I received an early copy of this book through a Goodreads giveaway. All thoughts are my own.
There were some dark moments and the themes explored could get really heavy, and I think Rao did an amazing job at balancing that darkness with moments of community and hope. It's impossible to portray the harms of colonialism, violence against women and children, and racism without including moments that can be difficult to read. But none of it feels sensationalized or without purpose. We are shown enough to understand what is happening to these characters, but the book doesn't linger in the violence, which is something I really appreciated. We linger in the impact, and the moments after the violence that really shape the world and the people in it.
This is one of those books that I kept thinking about after I finished. There were certain moments and sentiments that really stuck with me, and I think they'll stay with me for quite a while. I really loved this book, and definitely recommend checking it out if you get the chance.
I received an early copy of this book through a Goodreads giveaway. All thoughts are my own.
December 31, 2025
I liked this book very much. Well-written, and from an unusual point of view. The main characters are two born in India who move to Montana near the Cotton River, so the husband can work out the proper details for dismantling a nearby dam. Of course, there is opposition to all this, though it has been ordered by the state's Department of Natural Resources. But the local indigenous community supports it. Most of the book is about these issues, with lovely river-worship, if there is such a concept, on the part of the husband especially, but also others. The way the Indians are received, portrayed from the newcomers' point of view, is fascinating. The couple's situation that led to their marriage is unusual for the American reader, and a fair amount of the story occurs in India, which was fascinating to this American reader. The writing is good, compelling even. My only gripe is that the final quarter to a third, which focuses on the plight of one particular Native American woman, lacked clarity in the fictional, plot-related sense. But oddly, this is a bit of a minor quibble, although responsible for my 4 stars instead of 5. Highly unusual book from a highly-unusual authorial narrative voice. Very much worth reading. And a first novel. I will be keeping my eye out for more from Shobha Rao, an author born in India who came to the states as a very young child.
October 31, 2025
Janhavi and Sagar, a young couple from India, get married in their hometown of Varanasi and relocate to Montana where Sagar has been appointed to work on a dam removal project on the Cotton river. There their paths cross with a native Indian woman named Renny. When disaster strikes, Sagar finds himself being made the fall guy. I loved the way the novel wove together the myth and mystery of the river Ganges in India with the Cotton River in Montana. I loved the in-between chapters telling short stories of unconnected characters who were somehow linked to the main plot and to rivers in general. The author has deftly dealt with the immigrant experience juxtaposed against the issues faced by Indigenous person in the United States. The novel itself is vary fast paced and becomes unputdownable once the plot unfolds. Indian Country is a powerful and multifaceted novel. If you enjoy literary fiction that combines deeply felt personal stories (immigration, marriage, identity) with broader social and historical issues (colonialism, environment, Indigenous rights), this book is worth reading. Rao demonstrates serious ambition, skillful storytelling and a strong eye for metaphor. I loved it.
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