Flame Tree Road (45 page)

It was a deliberate decision on my part not to revisit the places I was writing about. New sensory experiences have a way of overriding imagination, sometimes to its detriment. As a result the elusive dream-like quality I wanted to capture in my storytelling would have been lost.

I am often asked if the character of Biren Roy—Dadamoshai in
Teatime for the Firefly
—was inspired by a real person. The answer is no. Biren Roy is an amalgamation of several enlightened thinkers of India. I constructed his character drawing from the lives and teachings of Rabindranath Tagore, Gandhi, Vivekananda, Ramakrishna and Sri Aurobindo, among others. Doing my research, I was deeply humbled by the immense spiritual wealth our great teachers have bestowed on us. Surely in this treasure trove of wisdom are the keys to a peaceful, more unified world.

Shona Patel

Fountain Hills, Arizona

October 2014

Acknowledgments

As usual my debts are substantial.

Thanks to all my readers who loved
Teatime for the Firefly
and encouraged me to write another novel. This book is for you. My heartfelt appreciation goes to Barbara Peters of Poisoned Pen Bookstore, for being my passionate champion and holding
Teatime
up to the world.

Special thanks to Emily Ohanjanians, my talented editor at MIRA Books, who was quick to grasp the essence of the story in all my incoherent ramblings and coax it out with sensitivity, insight and intelligence.

To April Eberhardt, literary agent extraordinaire, my deepest gratitude. She pulled me out of the weeds and kept me buoyed with endless doses of optimism and unconditional faith. She is my secret ally and a dear friend.

To Mimi Dutt and Mithoo (Mothy) Wadia, my love. They were with me from the very beginning and I counted on their honest, unfiltered feedback every step of the way. They know me better than I know myself and I would be completely lost without them.

I was halfway through my first draft when I met the delightfully quirky and quintessentially English Paul Tucker, who has more stories, trivia and knowledge in his head than several bookshelves. I am grateful to him for his openhearted sharing. Also to Roisin Hannon for her research and story details for the Cambridge Union Society section. To Priscilla Myers, Rae Iverson, Davey Lamont and Dr. Mickey Wadia for their thoughtful inputs on early drafts.

With all my love to Vinoo Patel, who handles my thrills, throes and constant woes with characteristic aplomb. I can never adequately express my gratitude for his sweet, caring presence in my life. Thank you!

FLAME
TREE
ROAD

SHONA PATEL

Reader’s Guide

A Conversation with the Author

What was the inspiration for this story?

The initial prompt for telling Biren Roy’s story came from my readers. After the publication of Teatime for the Firefly, many readers wrote to say how much they loved the character of Layla’s grandfather, Dadamoshai—Biren Roy in this book—and wished they could learn more about him. I had not written Teatime intending to write a prequel, but luckily for me, there were several open leads I could use to recreate Biren Roy’s backstory. It was a formidable task to delve into the past of a fictitious character and imagine the life events that might have shaped his inner journey. I based the story on the belief that some people arrive at their inner peace and wisdom only by transcending great personal tragedy. As Shamol says in Flame Tree Road, sometimes one has to lose everything to renew and bloom again. I imagined Biren Roy to be that kind of person.

The story explores many different themes. Was there a particular theme that was close to your heart, that you enjoyed exploring most?

I am fascinated by the role of human conscience in a moral or ethical dilemma. I want to understand why a person makes a certain choice and how the consequences affect his life and ultimately reshape his character.

I am also deeply interested in social and political issues that collectively affect the mind-set of a society. It becomes impossible to judge a race or religion when viewed in the context of its cultural history. Nothing is simple, or black-and-white. I like to understand the issues from different sides.

Is there a character in the story that you identify with? Or a favorite character among the varied cast?

I am deeply invested in all my characters, both major and minor, and I don’t really have a favorite. I create specific characters to act as foils to my main character or to further my story. It is crucial for me to have a firm grip on my characters. I must intimately “know” them and see them clearly to be able to write about them. Without my characters I don’t have a story.

What kind of research went into writing
Flame Tree Road
?

In a nutshell: extensive, involved and far, far more than what you ultimately see in the novel. I am not comfortable unless I am sitting on a huge bedrock of research to even begin to write. I find too little research makes my writing flat. Only when I have enough matter to play with can I paint with finer strokes and greater control. Besides written material, I rely on visual and auditory sources: movies of the period, videos, photos, paintings, music, even actual objects. To write about a striking cobra I have to watch a video to see how high it rears up and hear the actual “growl” in its throat. To write about death I have to hear the actual death rattle of a dying person—yes, it’s all on YouTube; very disturbing and not recommended. Even to describe a caterpillar crawling on a windowsill, I research to make sure it is the right species of caterpillar that eats the leaves of the Bramley apple trees. You have no idea how obsessive I am!

What was the most challenging part of writing this book? What was the most enjoyable?

The most challenging—and terrifying—part of writing this book was the idea of writing a second book in the first place! I had written my first book at my own pace and own time and I had no idea what a writer’s life really entailed. Suddenly there were interviews, public appearances, deadlines, self-imposed expectations, acute self-doubt and fear of judgment and failure. I had no clue what the story of the second book would be. Even after working out some kind of outline I was all over place. There were false starts, dead ends, bouts of howling—just ask my husband!—and a frozen shoulder that most likely resulted from a frozen brain. I finally had to calm down and get centered so I could write the novel, and voilà! Here I am!

I really enjoy the revision process because I love problem solving. I like to understand where the holes are in the story and figure out ways to fix them. Seeing a book evolve to its final form in the editing process is very thrilling for me.

What do you hope your readers will take away from this novel?

I hope this novel gives my readers new insights into a foreign culture. Many Westerners—I hate to say—have a very simplistic understanding of Indian society. The caste system, arranged marriages, joint families, superstition, religion and rituals, no matter how seemingly backward and barbaric, have all evolved for societal reasons. To understand why they prevail one must understand the history and culture of the people. I hope my novel prompts open discussion. If my story brings my reader to a new place of empathy and understanding, I will have done my job as a writer.

Can you describe your writing process? Do you tend to outline first or dive right in and figure out the details as you go along?

My writing process is chaotic and messy and I would not recommend it to any writer. Typically I don’t begin with an outline, and even if I do, I almost never know which way my story will go once I start writing. On the other hand I usually have a clear idea for my main character. Besides character, I must also have a clear idea for the setting of my story, which is usually a place of geographical and historical interest, preferably one I am familiar with. The plot and the minor characters all unfold in the writing process itself. My first draft is the sacrificial goat—a pathetic animal that makes sad bleating noises. This is hacked to pieces amid much hair tearing and breast-beating. My near and dear ones all flee during this period. When the dust settles and if I am very, very lucky, a few threads of the story begin to emerge. After that it is all work. I am ruthless with my revisions and have no qualms about throwing massive chunks of the novel out if it does not fit the story. I am never happy with the end result and the danger is I can nitpick a story to its demise. Thank God for deadlines as this forces me to give up the manuscript.

Can you tell us anything about what you’re working on right now?

Writing the third novel is an intimidating thought. The old terror creeps up, but I think I am getting more savvy, more blasé or wise—call it what you will. I am toying with the idea of going back to the tea plantations of Assam as the setting for my third novel. There is an old comfort in writing about what I know. I may explore the Jimmy O’Connor story. He was the oddball Irish tea planter in Teatime for the Firefly, a very interesting multidimensional character. Again there will be social and cultural themes embedded in the story. But I will need to take a break and clear my head before I jump in.

Questions for Discussion

1. Shamol Roy is a decent, gentle man and a loving husband and father. Biren seems to have a lot of the same traits when he grows up, marries and has a family of his own. What are the similarities between them, and what are the differences? Do you think this is a result of nature or nurture?
   
2. Sammy Deb is a spoiled rich boy who gets every last thing handed to him. In the end, he is happy and content to be a husband and father. What do you make of his character and his journey?
   
3. Biren spends his whole life fighting for women, and yet he suffers the loss of almost every woman he loves. Why do you think the author made this choice, and what significance does it seem to have to the story?
   
4. Shibani, Estelle and Maya are the most important influences on Biren’s life and ambitions for female equality. But they are not the only characters who influence him. Who are some of the minor characters who play a significant role?
   
5. What are the differences between Estelle and Maya? What are the differences between the relationships Biren has with each? Who is better suited to him and why?
   
6. Biren describes Estelle as reminding him of his mother when his father was still alive. What are the similarities between the characters of Estelle and Shibani? What are the differences? Do you think these affected Biren’s feelings toward Estelle?
   
7. When Biren meets the potter, the old man says, “Without the blessings of your ancestors and the roots of your community, a man can lose himself.” Do you agree? What do you think of this statement in relation to Biren’s journey to find himself?
   
8. The title and the story make much of the flame tree. What is the significance of this motif for you as a reader?
   
9. Nitin cares for Shibani in her old age; Mitra adopts Layla; Samaresh and Sammy have secure jobs when they return home from England. On the other hand, Shamol’s brother shirks work and deprives his younger sibling of an education, and Maya and Moni do not receive individual care when crowded together with other relatives in their village home. What are the pros and cons of the joint family system?
   
10. Biren is a practical man who likes to work with his hands and see tangible results. What makes him different from the Calcutta/Cambridge armchair intellectuals?
    
11. Why is the widow’s hand-painted bookmark significant to the story?
    
12. At Maya’s insistence Biren goes to Calcutta to fulfill his dream. Was that a wise decision? Did Biren’s ambition override his concern for Maya?
    
13. After Maya dies, does Biren make the right decision to leave four-year-old Moni and return to Silchar? Does he have a choice? Was there anything he could have done differently?
    
14. What is the significance of the Russian doll in the story?
    
15. An old
    tantrik
    by the riverbank made a sinister prophecy that Moni’s life would be claimed by water. Did Biren do the right thing by not sharing this with Maya?