"The Girl in the Garden"

Kamala Nair was born in London and grew up in the United States. A graduate of Wellesley College, she studied literature at Oxford University and received an M.Phil in Creative Writing from Trinity College Dublin in 2005.

She applied the Page 69 Test to The Girl in the Garden, her debut novel, and reported the following:

Page 69 of The Girl in the Garden features a pivotal scene, where Rakhee first discovers a mysterious hidden garden and finally comes face to face with the “monster in the forest,” which she has been warned about by the grown-ups. I don’t want to give anything away for those who haven’t yet read The Girl in the Garden by quoting the page, but this scene is the culmination of the mystery that has been building until now, and represents a turning point in the story, guiding the direction in which it will head moving forward. This scene encapsulates a greater theme of the novel, dealing with perception versus reality, and the blurred distinction between dreams and consciousness. On page 69 Rakhee first confronts the symbolic heart of darkness in the story and begins to discover the fallibility of the adults whom she has trusted all along. This is the point where she begins to see them as human beings with weaknesses, who are capable of deep cruelties, and with this realization comes the loss of innocence.

Learn more about the book and author at Kamala Nair's website and blog.

Visit the complete list of books in the Page 69 Test Series.

--Marshal Zeringue