All Our Evenings

by Ruthvika Rao

From the author of the acclaimed novel The Fertile Earth comes a powerful tale of desire, friendship, and rivalry between three inseparable friends over the course of an unforgettable summer.

In 1990s Hyderabad, three teenagers—Arjun, Ruhee and Ganesh—forge an unexpected bond. Over the course of a single sun-drenched summer, they discover love, friendship, and solace from their troubled families. They also discover the Red House, an abandoned house in their neighborhood, which becomes the site of their intimate friendship. But one night at the Red House, an unexpected act of violence shatters their lives forever.

A decade later, Ruhee returns to Hyderabad, and Arjun, who has never forgotten his first love, is given a chance to tell the truth, both to himself and to those around him. But the tangled threads of fate, class and desire remain, as does a lacerating secret.

By turns tender and unsettling, Ruthvika Rao’s All Our Evenings is a deeply affecting novel about youthful passion, redemption, and the people we can never let go.

Genres: Fiction, Adult

192 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2026

About the author

Ruthvika Rao is from Hyderabad, India. Her debut novel, The Fertile Earth, was a finalist for the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize, the Chautauqua Prize, the Crossword Book Award, and longlisted for the Dylan Thomas Prize. She has taught creative writing at the University of Iowa and the University of Toronto. She is a graduate of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop and lives in Michigan.

www.ruthvikarao.com

Reviews

[Lynn Peterson]

While this is a short book (thankfully) so much is not explained or shown. Three teenagers forms bond but who loves whom? Then tragedy strikes and what happens? I feel like this really could have been good - a love triangle, longing, jealousy all piled up next to family pressures and social statuses. But alas, instead it just literally dragged on and on and on.

[Patty]

This is the story of three teenagers: Arjun, Ruhee and Ganesh. They go through life trying to find their place in the world and deciding who loves Ruhee the most. And then, tragedy strikes and their worlds turn upside down. I’m not good with innuendo and I guess this book is filled with it. So there is a lot left untold that the reader is supposed to guess or surmise. I’m not sure I could do that…anyway I loved reading about their relationships and weird family dynamics but I may have missed the essence of the story lol. It was a quick read and I enjoyed it so there’s that. Up to you to decide if it’s worth it. 🤷🏻‍♀️

[Christine]

Three teenagers are living in Hyderabad, India in the 1990s. They forge an unlikely friendship, until Ruhee and Ganesh begin to fall in love. Arjun quickly finds himself on the outside looking in on their relationship. And when something unexpected happens, it will change things between the three of them forever.

I found this to have the start of a really good story that would be one of those that stuck with you for a long time. However, it didn't quite come together for me as I hoped it would. My take is that the author was purposefully trying to be vague about certain things, particularly around the real relationship between Arjun and Ganesh. But having to piece things together and fill in the blanks to some extent, made the book less impactful to me.

Well written and kept me interested, but it was just missing a little something that would have knocked it up to an above average book for me.

I received an advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Jennifer Hernandez]

I DN'f at page 70. It just felt like nothing was really going on for being a short book and I couldn't get into it.

[Brad]

Spare, devastating, love story..

[Akira]

As a first-time reader of Ruthvika Rao’s work, I’m thoroughly impressed by the depth that Rao packed into the ~192-page novel. Throughout the whole novel, I was constantly on the edge of my seat, wondering what part of the plot Rao would suddenly reveal. There is a constant urge to travel through the past and present timelines of the situation the characters find themselves in, especially given how past decisions lead to the broken and incomplete friendship that Arjun, Ganesh, and Ruhee experience. Rao not only does a great job of condensing such a rich story into a short length, but also brings to light the complexities that women in India face in relationships. I’d highly recommend All Our Evenings to readers who are searching for a deeply layered yet quick read that will leave you thinking about the barriers the characters face and their friendships for a while.

Full review here: https://wsucrimsonreview.wixsite.com/....