A Nest for Lalita

Meen Kaul is riding high in her position as director of Behera House, a safe haven in India for women who have survived domestic violence. But when the stock market crashes, Meena loses her funding for a new campus. Seeing an opportunity to win women's votes before a national election, the Hindu Democratic Party (HDP) steps in with a multimillion-dollar grant. Meena's worst fears come to pass as the nationalist Hindu party wins the election and begins to chip away at a hundred years of progress on women's rights. Meanwhile, Simon Bliss, America's foremost "green" architect, arrives to design the flagship building of the new campus. Trapped in a stalled marriage, Simon falls for the bright and alluring Meena and is quickly sucked into the perilous world of Indian politics. In his attempt to loosen the HDP's grip on Meena and win her affection, Simon spars with reactionary politicians, crooked priests, and sleazy businessmen who will stop at nothing to protect their interests. In the process, Simon comes face to face with disturbing truths about his own past, and Meena finds herself trapped in a way she could have never expected. Langer has written an emotionally charged novel complete with forbidden love, murder, and corporate greed-all against the backdrop of an ancient country trying to find its identity in a fast-changing world.