Blue-Skinned Gods

From the award-winning author of Marriage of a Thousand Lies comes a brilliantly written, globe-spanning novel about identity, faith, family, and sexuality.
In Tamil Nadu, India, a boy is born with blue skin. His father sets up an ashram, and the family makes a living off of the pilgrims who seek the child’s blessings and miracles, believing young Kalki to be the tenth human incarnation of the Hindu god Vishnu. In Kalki’s tenth year, he is confronted with three trials that will test his power and prove his divine status and, his father tells him, spread his fame worldwide. While he seems to pass them, Kalki begins to question his divinity. Over the next decade, his family unravels, and every relationship he relied on—father, mother, aunt, uncle, cousin—starts falling apart. Traveling from India to the underground rock scene of New York City, Blue-Skinned Gods explores ethnic, gender, and sexual identities, and spans continents and faiths, in an expansive and heartfelt look at the need for belief in our globally interconnected world.

Author	Sj Sindu
Format	Ebook
ISBN	9781641293532
Language	English
Pages	543
Publication Date	10-03-2022
Publisher	Soho Press

1 review for Blue-Skinned Gods

Rated 5 out of 5

Swetzel (verified owner) – 04/30/2025

Even before his birth, Kalke Sami’s parents knew he was destined to become a god. He appeared to be a normal infant until he was bitten by a cobra at age six months. He survived the deadly bite, but his skin turned blue, the color of the Hindu god Vishnu. His parents raise him on their ashram in a manner befitting the avatar of the tenth reincarnation of Vishnu. He spends his days in study and meditation. In the evenings he used his healing powers to treat the minor ailments of the villagers, aided at times by his doctor father’s skills. His only companions are his cousin Lashman and Roo, the girl he’d healed as his first miracle. When Lashman’s family moves to the United States, it leaves a huge hole in his heart and in his life. When his father banishes Roo because of his attachment to her, Kalke is devasted.As Kalke grows older, he becomes more and more dissatisfied with his restricted life. He wants to play with the village kids, he wants to go to school, and he wants to fall in love. Visitors to the ashram introduce him to the outside world, against his father’s wishes. The more Kalke struggles to have a more normal life, the more his father cuts him off from the world.When he reached adulthood, his father took him on a world tour. He found Lashman In New York City, escapes his father’s clutches, and discovers a whole new world. He reaches some incredible highs and some devastating lows, including the shocking revelation that nothing he thought he knew about his life is true.Blueskinned Gods gives a fascinating look into a little-known culture. Kalke’s unique coming of age story is poignant and moving. Highly recommended.

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