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Rising Sons: A novel
In pre-independent India, in the small village of Kesarugattu somewhere in Karnataka, Devaraya, a Brahmin, goes about further ossifying his status. This little hamlet, like every other, follows the said and unsaid rules of caste and religion. Inter-caste marriages are frowned upon. Brahmin and other wealthy upper caste men set the rules. The Ai tribes live far away from the village, in the forest. As societal divisions and unlikely friendships play out in the everyday life of the village, a secret from Devaraya’s past comes to haunt him and his family. The repercussions are huge for both Devaraya, his wife Gowru and his two sons Nanju and Anna.
Even as battle lines are drawn in the village and undeclared allies offer support, this fresh trouble claims one of his two sons. That's not all - meanwhile, the Independence movement that infects the little hamlet sweeps away his other son in its fever. What is to become of the dreams Devaraya had for his sons?
Rising Sons, a novel in four parts, tells the delicate story of the relationship between fathers and sons, between husbands and wives, between family and society; of the fate of a small village that is tied to the making of a great nation; of the hope and promise of the young against the disappointments of the past; of the hows and whys of political life.
Even as battle lines are drawn in the village and undeclared allies offer support, this fresh trouble claims one of his two sons. That's not all - meanwhile, the Independence movement that infects the little hamlet sweeps away his other son in its fever. What is to become of the dreams Devaraya had for his sons?
Rising Sons, a novel in four parts, tells the delicate story of the relationship between fathers and sons, between husbands and wives, between family and society; of the fate of a small village that is tied to the making of a great nation; of the hope and promise of the young against the disappointments of the past; of the hows and whys of political life.
- GenresFiction
544 pages, Paperback
Published April 13, 2025
About the author
Kavery Nambisan
13 books21 followersKavery Nambisan is a novelist from India. She is also a surgeon who practices in rural India. Her career in medicine has been a strong influence in her fiction.
She spent her early years in Madikeri. She studied medicine in St. John's Medical College, Bangalore from 1965 and then studied surgery at the University of Liverpool, England, where she obtained the FRCS qualification. She worked as a surgeon in various parts of rural India before moving to Lonavala to start a free medical centre for migrant labourers.
Nambisan works as surgeon and medical advisor at the Tata Coffee Hospital in Kodagu, Karnataka, and is the Chief Medical Officer for Tata Coffee.
Kavery Nambisan began by writing under her first married name Kavery Bhatt for children's magazines. She wrote stories for the now defunct children's magazine Target. She also contributed to Femina and Eve's Weekly.
She spent her early years in Madikeri. She studied medicine in St. John's Medical College, Bangalore from 1965 and then studied surgery at the University of Liverpool, England, where she obtained the FRCS qualification. She worked as a surgeon in various parts of rural India before moving to Lonavala to start a free medical centre for migrant labourers.
Nambisan works as surgeon and medical advisor at the Tata Coffee Hospital in Kodagu, Karnataka, and is the Chief Medical Officer for Tata Coffee.
Kavery Nambisan began by writing under her first married name Kavery Bhatt for children's magazines. She wrote stories for the now defunct children's magazine Target. She also contributed to Femina and Eve's Weekly.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
February 19, 2025
I just finished reading "Rising Sons" by Kavery Nambisan, and it's been a really thought-provoking experience. The book tells the story of Devaraya, a Brahmin man living in a small village in Karnataka, and his family.
As I read through the book, I was struck by how well the author portrayed the complexities of family relationships. Devaraya's relationships with his wife and sons are multifaceted and nuanced, and I found myself getting invested in their stories.
The book also explores the social dynamics of the village, including the caste system and the struggles of the local tribes. I appreciated how the author handled these sensitive topics with care and respect.
One of the things that stood out to me was how the author wove the story of India's independence movement into the narrative. It was fascinating to see how the characters' lives were affected by the changing political landscape.
All-in-all, I think "Rising Sons" is a great read for anyone interested in Indian history, culture, or just a good story. The book raises important questions about identity, community, and social change, and it's definitely left me thinking.
As I read through the book, I was struck by how well the author portrayed the complexities of family relationships. Devaraya's relationships with his wife and sons are multifaceted and nuanced, and I found myself getting invested in their stories.
The book also explores the social dynamics of the village, including the caste system and the struggles of the local tribes. I appreciated how the author handled these sensitive topics with care and respect.
One of the things that stood out to me was how the author wove the story of India's independence movement into the narrative. It was fascinating to see how the characters' lives were affected by the changing political landscape.
All-in-all, I think "Rising Sons" is a great read for anyone interested in Indian history, culture, or just a good story. The book raises important questions about identity, community, and social change, and it's definitely left me thinking.
February 23, 2025
This is my first book of Kavery Nambisan. Rising Sons is a riveting novel that meticulously explored Indian family, life through the lens of passing time.
Author tried to capture a vast landscape of the life of an Indian housewife Gowru. She meticulously spins the story in the backdrop of colonial India. Kavery painted a huge canvas that sheds light on some social issues like cast system, village life, tribal life, love.
This is a story of an orphan girl, Gowru was an orphan girl, a higher class, brahmin orphan who lived in an orphanage. When she was 15, she was married to an educated, well established person and soon her dream of a happy life collided with reality or should I say the fragile ego of a weak man. Gowru's friend, another girl from orphanage was fortunate enough to marry her love. The differences between these two girls married life painstakingly elaborated and the aching pain of Gowru's life shakes her time to time. One day Gowru finds news of her friend's death, they left their child to her. Villagers said it's a suicide but Gowru knows her friend and her husband can't do anything like that, someone push them in the well, but who and why would someone do that.
Kavery 's understanding of Indian society and its sociology is marvellous. The way she painted Indian housewife Gowru, her husband and their life in fleeting time, and the inner clash with vulnerability is sheer brilliance.
Maybe, because of the long stretched canvas, and it tried to capture a lot of things, this story didn't appeal to me, I think it lacks the objectivity and became an average book. It was an okayish book for me.
Author tried to capture a vast landscape of the life of an Indian housewife Gowru. She meticulously spins the story in the backdrop of colonial India. Kavery painted a huge canvas that sheds light on some social issues like cast system, village life, tribal life, love.
This is a story of an orphan girl, Gowru was an orphan girl, a higher class, brahmin orphan who lived in an orphanage. When she was 15, she was married to an educated, well established person and soon her dream of a happy life collided with reality or should I say the fragile ego of a weak man. Gowru's friend, another girl from orphanage was fortunate enough to marry her love. The differences between these two girls married life painstakingly elaborated and the aching pain of Gowru's life shakes her time to time. One day Gowru finds news of her friend's death, they left their child to her. Villagers said it's a suicide but Gowru knows her friend and her husband can't do anything like that, someone push them in the well, but who and why would someone do that.
Kavery 's understanding of Indian society and its sociology is marvellous. The way she painted Indian housewife Gowru, her husband and their life in fleeting time, and the inner clash with vulnerability is sheer brilliance.
Maybe, because of the long stretched canvas, and it tried to capture a lot of things, this story didn't appeal to me, I think it lacks the objectivity and became an average book. It was an okayish book for me.
March 17, 2025
-Of Roots, Mud & Life-
Review of 'Rising Sons' by Kavery Nambisan and @penguinindia
Quote Alert
"𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐡𝐬 𝐚 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐡 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬 𝐝𝐫𝐲. 𝐇𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐚 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥. 𝐆𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐚 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐜𝐤 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐚𝐱𝐞. 𝐓𝐫𝐲 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐤-𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐦𝐮𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐬𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐡. 𝐑𝐮𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐨𝐢𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐬, 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐡."
'Rising Sons' is a story rooted in a forgotten time, when simple things ruled lives. Set around pre-independent rural Karnataka, it effortlessly shows the bondage the Hindus have still been tied to, after hundreds of years of knowledge and progress.
In historical fiction, time may be different but emotions are not. In the beginning of the story, we meet Devaraya who, as a father, blows hot and cold. He works in Mysoor and comes to his village on Friday evening. These lines etch out his demeanor-
'He arrived late on Friday evening, bringing with him rice,coffee beans, the best quality jaggery, pepper and long red chillies. There followed a short period of good cheer until Father found something to be displeased about.He chided and chastised and busted the good cheer. He brought with him a darkness that infected Gowru for the duration of his stay. Her easy composure hardened, the severity of her speech resembling Father's. The children too were transformed. Their movements became furtive and their voices subdued--speaking only when spoken to,standing up every time he entered a room, looking down while addressing him and curbing greed when food was being served. 'Eat,' he said, and they ate quietly, with refined hunger.'
An intense read.
Review of 'Rising Sons' by Kavery Nambisan and @penguinindia
Quote Alert
"𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐡𝐬 𝐚 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐡 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬 𝐝𝐫𝐲. 𝐇𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐚 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥. 𝐆𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐚 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐜𝐤 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐚𝐱𝐞. 𝐓𝐫𝐲 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐤-𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐦𝐮𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐬𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐡. 𝐑𝐮𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐨𝐢𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐬, 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐡."
'Rising Sons' is a story rooted in a forgotten time, when simple things ruled lives. Set around pre-independent rural Karnataka, it effortlessly shows the bondage the Hindus have still been tied to, after hundreds of years of knowledge and progress.
In historical fiction, time may be different but emotions are not. In the beginning of the story, we meet Devaraya who, as a father, blows hot and cold. He works in Mysoor and comes to his village on Friday evening. These lines etch out his demeanor-
'He arrived late on Friday evening, bringing with him rice,coffee beans, the best quality jaggery, pepper and long red chillies. There followed a short period of good cheer until Father found something to be displeased about.He chided and chastised and busted the good cheer. He brought with him a darkness that infected Gowru for the duration of his stay. Her easy composure hardened, the severity of her speech resembling Father's. The children too were transformed. Their movements became furtive and their voices subdued--speaking only when spoken to,standing up every time he entered a room, looking down while addressing him and curbing greed when food was being served. 'Eat,' he said, and they ate quietly, with refined hunger.'
An intense read.
February 21, 2025
One who doesn’t believe in caste must haven’t witnessed racism.
Casteism is an issue that has been around for centuries, and unfortunately, they’re still prevalent today.
We need to talk about these issues because silence only perpetuates the problem. By speaking out and sharing our stories, we can create a more inclusive and equitable society.
Rising Sons by Kaveri Nambisan explores the complexities of Indian society, delving into the caste system and its far-reaching consequences.
The book is divided into four parts, taking the reader on a journey through pre-independent India, the horrors of the caste system, and the struggle for identity.
The latter half of the book explores India’s transition to independence and the formation of a new government. It reminded me of the book Things to Leave Behind by Namita Gokhale.
What I loved about this book was its honest portrayal of the struggles faced by marginalized communities. The author doesn’t shy away from tackling tough topics, and that’s what makes this book so powerful.
Now, Rising Sons is not perfect. Some parts felt a bit dense, and the pacing could have been better in some sections.
But here’s the thing: despite its flaws, this book is still an important read. It’s a conversation starter, a thought-provoker, and a reminder of the work that still needs to be done to create a more just society.
Casteism is an issue that has been around for centuries, and unfortunately, they’re still prevalent today.
We need to talk about these issues because silence only perpetuates the problem. By speaking out and sharing our stories, we can create a more inclusive and equitable society.
Rising Sons by Kaveri Nambisan explores the complexities of Indian society, delving into the caste system and its far-reaching consequences.
The book is divided into four parts, taking the reader on a journey through pre-independent India, the horrors of the caste system, and the struggle for identity.
The latter half of the book explores India’s transition to independence and the formation of a new government. It reminded me of the book Things to Leave Behind by Namita Gokhale.
What I loved about this book was its honest portrayal of the struggles faced by marginalized communities. The author doesn’t shy away from tackling tough topics, and that’s what makes this book so powerful.
Now, Rising Sons is not perfect. Some parts felt a bit dense, and the pacing could have been better in some sections.
But here’s the thing: despite its flaws, this book is still an important read. It’s a conversation starter, a thought-provoker, and a reminder of the work that still needs to be done to create a more just society.
July 5, 2025
Wow. Rising Sons completely swept me away. From the very first page, Nambisan pulls you into a world so vivid and alive that you feel like you’re right there with her characters—laughing with them, aching with them, and seeing the world through their eyes.
It instantly brought back memories of her earlier novel, The Scent of Pepper, which I adored for its evocative sense of place and unforgettable characters. But Rising Sons feels even more powerful—it’s richer, bolder, and hits you on a deeper emotional level.
There are passages in this book so beautifully written I had to pause and read them again, just to savor the language. And the story itself… it stays with you. It makes you think about family, identity, love, and how history shapes who we are in ways we don’t always realize.
If you’ve read The Scent of Pepper, you’re in for a treat because Rising Sons has that same magic—and then some. And if you haven’t read Nambisan before, this is the perfect place to start. It’s the kind of novel you want to press into your friends’ hands and say: “You HAVE to read this.”
It instantly brought back memories of her earlier novel, The Scent of Pepper, which I adored for its evocative sense of place and unforgettable characters. But Rising Sons feels even more powerful—it’s richer, bolder, and hits you on a deeper emotional level.
There are passages in this book so beautifully written I had to pause and read them again, just to savor the language. And the story itself… it stays with you. It makes you think about family, identity, love, and how history shapes who we are in ways we don’t always realize.
If you’ve read The Scent of Pepper, you’re in for a treat because Rising Sons has that same magic—and then some. And if you haven’t read Nambisan before, this is the perfect place to start. It’s the kind of novel you want to press into your friends’ hands and say: “You HAVE to read this.”
March 31, 2025
Rising Sons by Kavery Nambisan is a poignant and insightful novel that explores the complexities of family, caste, and social change in pre-independent India. Set in the small village of Kesarugattu, the story follows Devaraya, a Brahmin, as he navigates the rigid social structures of his time while grappling with the changing tides of the independence movement.
Nambisan masterfully weaves together personal and societal narratives, depicting the impact of historical events on the lives of ordinary people. Through Devaraya’s experiences, the novel explores themes of social inequality, the struggle for social justice, and the evolving dynamics of family relationships.
Rising Sons is a powerful and moving work of historical fiction that offers a nuanced and insightful perspective on Indian society in the pre-independence era. Nambisan’s elegant prose and her keen understanding of human nature make this a compelling and thought-provoking read.
Nambisan masterfully weaves together personal and societal narratives, depicting the impact of historical events on the lives of ordinary people. Through Devaraya’s experiences, the novel explores themes of social inequality, the struggle for social justice, and the evolving dynamics of family relationships.
Rising Sons is a powerful and moving work of historical fiction that offers a nuanced and insightful perspective on Indian society in the pre-independence era. Nambisan’s elegant prose and her keen understanding of human nature make this a compelling and thought-provoking read.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews