Kaikeyi

“Before this story was Rama’s, it was mine”

In this reimagining of the Hindu epic the Ramayana, Lord Rama’s stepmother, Queen Kaikeyi, tells her story. From a childhood as a young princess to her political career as the third queen of the kingdom of Ayodhya to her role of mother/stepmother to four princes as they grow to adulthood, Kaikeyi’s choices are a major catalyst for the events of the Ramayana. 
In telling Kaikeyi’s side of the story, author Vaishnavi Patel focuses her lens on the role of women in Hindu stories, and questions the assumptions/acceptance that many people who grew up with those stories (including me) have. I hope to see more work by this author in the future!