Goddess of the River by Vaishnavi Patel
Goddess of the River
Author: Vaishnavi Patel
Genre: Fantasy
Format: Digital ARC
Publish Date: May 2024
Read: March 2024
Favorite Quote: I did not know when humans pray for nature, they pray for something to control.
Story Synopsis: Ganga is a happy, playful river goddess. Along her shores, she takes care of the godlings who play and cause mischief. These godlings, however, anger a human sage, and as a form of retribution, Ganga is cursed to take the form of a human woman.
Through the sage’s machinations, Ganga is wed to a king to bear his heirs, which is part of Ganga’s curse. Determined to regain her former life as a formless river goddess, Ganga will stop at nothing to fulfill her obligations. However, Ganga’s fate twists within sight of her freedom, and she’s forced to leave her newborn son in the hands of the king.
Unaware of his mother’s curse, this son bears the fallout of the curse his whole life. To please his father, he makes an oath never to claim the throne, causing a series of events leading to a deadly and dramatic war. Throughout this story, mother and son ebb and flow in one another’s life around duty, destiny, and family.
Why does this book beguile? I was thrilled to receive Goddess of the River as an advanced reader copy. I adored Kaikeyi and knew another Hindu retelling would be incredible. The writing is incredible and beautifully done.
However, I feel conflicted.
I felt a disconnect from Ganga - I didn’t relate to her the way I wanted to relate to her, but in thinking about this, I believe that’s a testament to the author’s writing. Part of the point of this novel is that the gods are different from humans. How they empathize and experience human emotions differs because they aren’t human. While Ganga spent a brief period as a human, she never fully became human.
Initially, I didn’t love this story (especially as much as Kaikeyi), but I think because Vaishnavi Patel’s writing is so good, you need to sit with it for a while to appreciate it fully.
Rating: 4/5
Link*: Goddess of the River by Vaishnavi Patel
If you’re interested in this, read*: Kaikeyi by Vaishnavi Patel