Karukku, a book that is flavorful and powerful like a double edged sword just like the Palmyra leaves, which means the same in Tamil.

Bama, talks about the age old oppression in the name of caste. She is very specific to her personal experiences of Christianity, Catholic church and Oppression.

She takes us through her life from the lens of her own eyes. The experiences, short snippets from the past, her childhood specifically, highlighting how oppression has been ingrained in her throughout her life.

The streets she grew up on had a caste significance, where a person  belonging to a lower caste wouldn't be allowed to step into a higher caste street. As a child her belief in god, showing how her villagers would gather photos of god, broken idols marks her childlike innocence. She studies hard and gets into a boarding school, where she again faces discrimination. After her studies she feels closer to god. She feels service to mankind will help her grow into a peaceful person and can change the way people perceive caste. She then joins the Convent. That is where her life takes a drastic turn, when she faces the reality of oppression and discrimination in a temple where everyone is to be looked upon as equals. She is heartbroken and makes certain decisions in life. That's her story.

It is her struggle throughout her life, years of oppression and the need to finally speak out that makes this book carve its own niche in the literary world.