Where Earth Meets Water

By Pia Padukone

IN THIS POIGNANT AND BREATHTAKING DEBUT, ONE MAN SEARCHES FOR MEANING IN THE WAKE OF INCOMPARABLE TRAGEDY…

Karom Seth should have been in the Twin Towers on the morning of 9/11, and on the Indian shores in 2004, when the tsunami swept his entire family into the ocean. Whether it's a curse or a blessing, Karom can't be sure, but his absence from these disasters has left him with crushing guilt–and a belief that fate has singled him out for invincibility.

Karom's affliction consumes everyone around him, from his best friend, Lloyd, to his girlfriend, Gita, who hopes that a trip to India will help him find peace. It is in Delhi that he meets Gita's grandmother, Kamini–a quirky but wise woman with secrets of her own. At first Karom dismisses Kamini, but little does he realize that she will ultimately lead him to the clarity he's been looking for.

Spanning the globe from New York to India, Where Earth Meets Water is a stunning portrait of a quest for human understanding, and a wise exploration of grief, survival and love in all its forms.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins UK
• Release date: May 1, 2014
• ISBN: 9781472095381

Pia Padukone

Pia Padukone was born, raised and continues to live in New York City. A graduate of Stuyvesant High School and the London School of Economics, Pia has worked as a copywriter in healthcare advertising. In their spare time, Pia and her husband write Two Admirable Pleasures, a blog that combines their shared passions for books and the culinary dishes that are inspired by them. Pia debuts with Where Earth Meets Water and is working on her second novel.

Reviews for Where Earth Meets Water

[susan0316 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The book was about Karom Seth and his feelings of guilt because he had just missed being in the towers on 9/11 and he was not with his family when they were all killed in the tsunami in 2004. His girlfriend Gita isn't sure how to help him find peace in his life so she takes him to India to visit her family. The story had a good idea behind it but I found it very confusing because it was told by different characters during different time periods and it was difficult to follow. I will read this author again as I think that she has the potential to get a great writer.

[muddyboy · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

An episodic book in which each chapter is told from the perspective of a different character. I have to admit that at a couple points I am thinking - Where is the author going with all this but she is able to tie things together quite nicely at the end. The story revolves around a man named Karom who suffers survivor's guilt as he should have been killed at the two towers on 9/11 and also at a family gathering in India in 2004 when a tidal wave hits there. So the thrust of the plot is his coming to terms with his tragic life with the help of other characters (past and present.