Tears in God’s Own Country is the story of Chenda, a percussion player in a fictional village in India who dreams of making it big in America. Caught up in the labyrinth of colorism, caste system, religious strife, and political deception, the protagonist never boards a plane. Though the story is set in 1960s India, the novel highlights the evils of the caste system, religious fanaticism, and the cultural quirks that still exist worldwide. The symbolism in the final chapter doesn’t go unnoticed.
Bruce Weigel, 2013 Pulitzer finalist for poetry, applauded: Cliff Anthony vividly paints the social and political milieu of a small village in India, whose themes and focus represent a universal concern. Driven by powerful cultural images, including the caste system, this book sails gracefully down the page.
Sarah Willis, the author of Some Things That Stay and other novels, and Loganberry employee, commended: With humor and pathos, Cliff Anthony delivers an important time in India’s history through the story of a man called Chenda, as we learn about who he is and the strange and sometimes disturbing characters and events that frame his life.
