In the Country of Deceit

Devayani Chooses To Live Alone In The Small Town Of Rajnur After Her Parents&Rsquo; Death, Ignoring The Gently Voiced Disapproval Of Her Family And Friends. Teaching English, Creating A Garden And Making Friends With Rani, A Former Actress Who Settles In The Town With Her Husband And Three Children, Devayani&Rsquo;S Life Is Tranquil, Imbued With A Hardwon Independence. Then She Meets Ashok Chinappa, Rajnur&Rsquo;S New District Superintendent Of Police, And They Fall In Love Despite The Fact That Ashok Is Much Older, Married, And&Mdash;As Both Painfully Acknowledge From The Very Beginning&Mdash;It Is A Relationship Without A Future. Deshpande&Rsquo;S Unflinching Gaze Tracks The Suffering, Evasions And Lies That Overtake Those Caught In The Web Of Subterfuge. There Are No Hostages Taken In The Country Of Deceit; No Victors; Only Scarred Lives. This Understated Yet Compassionate Examination Of The Nature Of Love, Loyalty And Deception Establishes Yet Again Deshpande&Rsquo;S Position As One Of India&Rsquo;S Most Formidable Writers Of Fiction.