Maya dances like not other. She becomes the dance . . . Her dance can steal a man's soul. Tanjore, 1765. Maya plays among the towering granite temples of this ancient city in the heart of southern India. Like her mother before her, she is destined to become a devadasi, a dancer for the temple. She is instructed in dance, the mystical arts and lovemaking. It is expected she will be chosen as a courtesan for the prince himself. But as Maya comes of age, India is on the cusp of change. She is forced to flee to the bustling port city of Madras, where East and West collide. Thomas Pearce, an ambitious young Englishman there to make his fortune, is entranced from the moment he first sees her dance. But their love is forbidden, and comes at enormous cost. Weaving together the uneasy meeting of two cultures, The Pagoda Tree is a captivating story of love, loss and fate. 'Claire Scobie's seductive prose and immaculate layering of period detail capture India at her most exotic.' Susan Kurosawa, Author of Coronation Talkies A powerful, sensual perspective on a time of great transformation in India.' Sarah Macdonald, author of Holy Cow 'A richly textured tale full of the sights, sounds and smells of India, with all its complex beauty and troubled history . . . ' Sydney Morning Herald