The Magnificent Ruins

When Lila returns to India from the United States after inheriting an ancestral home, she must confront a culture that has always been a part of her, her mother from whom she has been estranged for a decade, and her family (grandmother, aunts, uncles, and cousins) who all still live in the house. These family members resent her sudden inheritance of this humongous home, a stunning display of the status and culture of the zamindars, India's ruling class that was so firmly shaped by British colonial rule.

As Lila navigates romantic entanglements and her family's deep mistrust, a legacy of violence in the family can no longer be ignored. In the aftermath of her cousin Biddy's wedding, an uncle is dead, and her grandmother unwillingly reveals her own secrets. With a lawsuit against Lila gathering steam and a police investigation triggered, Lila must finally reckon with her inherited custom of sweeping everything under the rug to preserve appearances.

With an unforgettable house at its heart, a violent past erupting into the present, a problematic romance, and a compelling and conflicted heroine, this novel is an utterly addictive read.

Author: Nayantara Roy
Publisher: Algonquin Books
Published: 11/12/2024
Pages: 448
Binding Type: Hardcover
Size: 9.25h x 6.25w x 1.38d
ISBN: 9781643755847

About the Author
Nayantara Roy is a television executive at STARZ/ Lionsgate, where she oversees the acquisition and creative development of original scripted television series. Prior to STARZ, she worked at Endeavor Content series (Normal People, Nine Perfect Strangers) and at AGBO, Joe and Anthony Russo's television studio. In 2018, Tara won the Rick Demarinis Short Story Prize for her short story, 8C. Originally from India, she is a 2020 alumni of the CAPE (Coalition of Asian Pacific Executives in Entertainment) Leaders Program and at STARZ, is a jury member of the STARZ #TakeTheLead director's program, which is designed to create more directing opportunities for women and people of color. Her plays have been performed internationally, including at Prithvi Theater in Mumbai, India and Contact Theater, Manchester, UK. She lives in Silverlake, Los Angeles.