The killer's song

Karsan Dargawalla, heir to a mysterious medieval Sufi temple, was groomed from childhood to succeed his father, guardian of the Temple of the Traveler. As the highest local religious authority, he would be God's representative to those who visit him seeking comfort. Karsan's desires, however, are more worldly, and he emigrates to study at Harvard, but finds himself drawn back to his roots after a tragedy befalls him. By constructing a character torn between modernity and tradition, MG Vassanji reveals the delicate relationship between past and present.