"The Archer," by Shruti Swamy

What a deep pleasure it is to “discover” a “new” (to me) author and her beautiful, lyrical novel! “The Archer” (Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, 2021), by Shruti Swamy, is painful and exalting in equal measure. It tells the story of Vidya, a child and then young woman in Bombay in the 1960s and 1970s. There is a deep sadness in her life: her mother’s mental illness that keeps her away for years at a time. Vidya’s life is hard, but her discovery of Kathak dancing allows her a way to transcend the sadness and difficulties in her life. This is one of the better depictions I have recently read of the power of art in a person’s life. During college, Vidya also discovers the power of love. The way the story is told, always through Vidya’s consciousness, is effective although at times almost claustrophobic. This is a powerful, expressive, insightful, and just plain gorgeous novel.