Synopses & Reviews
She was born in India to the lowest caste, a group with few rights and even fewer prospects. Enduring cruel poverty, Phoolan Devi survived the humiliation of an abusive marriage, the savage killing of her bandit-lover, and a horrifying gang rape to claim retribution for herself and all low-caste women of the Indian plains. In a three-year campaign that rocked the government, she delivered justice to rape victims and stole from the rich to give to the poor, before negotiating surrender on her own terms. Throughout her years of imprisonment without trial, Phoolan Devi remained a beacon of hope for the poor and the downtrodden. In 1996, amidst both popular support and media controversy, she was elected to the Indian Parliament.
On July 25th, 2001, Phoolan Devi was shot dead in Delhi. The identity of her killers is unknown, but it is thought that they may include relatives of villagers killed by her gang nearly twenty years ago. For over a decade millions have found the power and scope of Phoolan Devi's myth irresistible. Here is the story of her life through her eyes and in her own voice.
Review
"She will remain one of the most talked-about people in the country."--
The New York Times"No reader can fail to be on her side."--The Times, London
Review
"Phoolan became at once both symbol and avenger of atrocities committed against the lower castes-a woman who had taken justice into her own hands and achieved a singular vindication . . . as a creation of the worst aspects of a monstrous social structure, she could lead a credible challenge against the caste system that has defined India since ancient times."--
Atlantic Monthly"It took a Salman Rushdie to make the world discuss the freedom of expression . . . to discuss an individual's right to Justice, it takes a Phoolan Devi."--Arundhati Roy, author of the Booker Prize-winning international best-seller, The God of Small Things
"A stunning tale, and all the more amazing for being true. It will make you cry, it will also make you cheer."--Jan Goodwin Author of Price of Honor and Caught in the Crossfire
"Phoolan became at once both symbol and avenger of atrocities committed against the lower castes--a woman who had taken justice into her own hands and achieved a singular vindication."--The Atlantic Monthly
"A khaki-and-bandana clad avenger of outrages by high caste against low, and by men against women."--The Nation
"Vivid and moving . . . a remarkable story."--Financial Times
About the Author
Marie-Therese Cuny has written or cowritten over fifty books. She lives in Paris.
Paul Rambali is a Paris-based British journalist. He makes documentaries for the BBC, Channel 4, and Canal Plus. He is the author of It's All True: In the Cities and Jungles of Brazil.