The Ballad of Jew Town

In a newly independent India, Yehuda Avraham, a young Malabari Jew from Ernakulam, does the unthinkable. He falls in love with Esther Zakiah, the daughter of a wealthy Paradesi Jewish merchant from Jew Town.

The Paradesis and the Malabaris have been at loggerheads for centuries, with carefully drawn lines separating the two communities. It is a marriage the elders will never agree to, and Esther stands to lose everything. Meanwhile, the newly formed state of Israel opens its doors to Jewish immigrants from around the world, calling upon Jews to make aaliyah to their fatherland. Yehuda and Esther are faced with a dilemma—should they start their lives afresh in Israel or stay back in Cochin and try to reconcile their worlds?

Set in the 1950s, in the land of silk, spices, and synagogues, The Ballad of Jew Town tells the story of two young lovers who find themselves caught between two communities and nations as they discover what it means to be an Indian Jew.

About the Author: Born and raised in Chennai, Samyuktha Nair has been an avid reader since her childhood. Growing up, she developed a love for history, which resulted in a deep interest in historical fiction. As she grew older, she began to engage in archival research relevant to her areas of interest (specifically, the history of Tamil Nadu and Kerala), and started writing historical fiction. The Ballad of Jew Town is her second novel. In her free time, Samyuktha enjoys reading, visiting places of historical interest, and spending time with her dog