The Folded Earth

Roy's somber and affectionately humorous tale, set in a remote Himalayan community, swells from tragedy to love to fierce protectiveness. Maya attempts to escape her recent widowhood by teaching in a secluded mountain village, only to become embroiled in divisive local elections and violent threats. Sneha Mathan's Indian accent is as rich as melted chocolate as she delivers Maya's internal musings; then her vocal range startles as she portrays the strident and high-timbre speech of girls and older women. Seeking peace in the lush landscape and simple livelihoods, Maya is foiled by both internal and external disruptions. Roy's tender story creates a sensory experience for listeners, and Mathan's narration embraces its exquisite surroundings and inventive characters. A.W. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine

January 30, 2012
After her husband, Michael, dies in a mountain-climbing mishap, Maya flees to the tiny Himalayan town of Ranikhet to escape her past and find peace. While teaching English at a Christian school, she befriends her teenage neighbor and milk delivery girl, Charu, whose lover, Kundan, has recently left the village to work in Delhi. Though he sends Charu letters, she cannot read or write. Maya takes on the role of interlocutor initially, but soon begins teaching Charu so that she can continue the epistolary romance on her own. Meanwhile, Maya finds herself caught up in an unexpected love affair with her landlord’s nephew, Veer. Though she has acclimated well to life in the village (“I became a hill person who was only at peace where the earth rose and fell in waves like the sea”), the premature death of her husband still haunts her. Veer seems to be the key to overcoming her grief, but revelations of his past threaten the emotional enclave Maya has fashioned for herself in the lush Indian hills. Similar to the pace of life in the village, Roy’s follow-up to An Atlas of Impossible Longing is occasionally slow going but her musical writing and strong imagery compensate, and individual moments sparkle.