The Forestbornsis photographer Vardhini Amin’s debut work in the category of fiction for Young Adults that opens with a cliffhanger, generating immediate curiosity, suspense and thrill. A scary-stormy night, a young child on the verge of death, a distraught parent and a woman ascetic constitute the dramatic opening of TheForestborns. At the heart of the story are Siah and Avni who stand for the sisterhood of the human and other-than-human. The world of TheForestborns is densely populated—not so much with humans though. Trees—sandalwood, ashoka, neem, mango—plants, animals and birds are the walking and talking denizens of this world. The vruha, or souls, of plants and trees emerge from their deha, or body, at night making the forest come alive. ‘Some vruha slithered, some floated and some flew with wings just like him. Some danced humming merry tunes, some played happily while some flocked together for their usual tittle-tattle’ (pp. 23-24).
The story circles around a hidden sandalwood grove near the Sahyadri Range. The sandalwood trees are in the middle of a change of guard with the young Siah taking over from her mentor Bhuja when they come under the shadow of traffickers. To rescue her clan, Siah is willing to go to great lengths and even follow the forbidden paths. The story carries an element of speculative fiction at its core. Who set the fire that left Samr half burnt? What happened to the little girl who died mysteriously? Several parallel narratives seem to be unfolding simultaneously, making the plot pleasantly challenging and complex. All the threads converge in the climactic chapters and the ends are tied up neatly.
The relationship between humans and non-humans follows two frameworks. The first model is where the non-humans display human characteristics. Within this framework, we find a power tussle unfolding in the sandalwood grove with the two groups—one led by Siah and the other by Samr—professing different beliefs. Trees display emotions, consciousness, language and individuality, which are considered human attributes. They show affection, pain, intelligence, and fear. They are also social, creative and logical. The errant vruha manage to transcend physical boundaries by jumping into human body in this model. In the second framework, we find the humans turning into non-humans or trees. There are at least two such instances in the novel where humans transcend the physical boundary and experience the life of a tree.
The switching of soul or body between the human and plant world has been the subject of many popular folk tales. The famous Kannadiga tale of TheFlowering Tree that was documented by AK Ramanujan is one such example. Similar traits are seen in the famous Assamese folk tale of Tejimola who turns into a plant to prove her innocence at the bidding of her father. In western narratives too, one comes across the wise talking tree trope, such as the Treebeard and Ents in the famous JRR Tolkien fantasy trilogy Lord of the Rings. It validates the argument that children’s literature often builds on existing folk narratives as these find easier acceptance among the target audience. Post-human awareness pervades TheForestborns wherehumans are not at the centre.Thisis a fluid world that is shared by all living beings equally and where oppressive hierarchies and false boundaries do not exist. Interestingly, while vruha are addressed in gendered terms—Siah as ‘she’ and Samr as ‘he’—they otherwise appear free from the burdens of a gendered world.
Though written for young readers, the novel works on several critical fronts. As a Cli-Fi or climate fiction, it functions as a cautionary tale about the disasters that can be unleashed in the wake of deforestation and environmental degradation. Sandalwood smugglers become emblematic of human greed and mindless violence against nature. The text also allows several entry points for eco-critical perspectives as it investigates the relationship of human characters with nature, particularly trees. Moving away from an anthropocentric view of the world, it uses fantasy to re-imagine all forms of life as interconnected and at par.
One of the factors that make this book unique is that it draws from the well of Indic lore, beliefs, characters and practices. It gives the tale the rare authenticity that fantasy genre writings often struggle for. The problem of red sandalwood smuggling is real, especially in the woods of the Sahyadri Range in the Western Ghats. The magical ability of the vruha to enter human bodies connects to ancient and forbidden sacred powers of the sages of lost times. Renunciates living in close proximity with nature have the unique ability to interact with it in ways that others can’t. This cultural foundation appeals to the intuition of the readers and makes the story believable.
The novel makes a clear stride into the post-human discourse and questions the classical assumptions of the term ‘human’. It forces readers to reconsider relationships with animals, plants, and even technology while also exploring the ethical and moral dimensions. For its young-adult readers, the novel takes a spectacular flight of imagination complete with finer details that compel a willing suspension of disbelief. The novel blends many genres in its sweep and the outcome is a fascinating story born in the forest that makes you wonder—what sort of a tree would I be?
Pooja Sharma is Assistant Professor, Department of English, Sri Venkateswara College, University of Delhi, Delhi.