Vaishnavi Patel

About

Vaishnavi Patel is an Indian-American novelist known for reimagining South Asian mythology and history through feminist perspectives. Born and raised in the United States, she studied political science and law, and her interest in power, identity, and social structures informs her fiction. Her debut novel, Kaikeyi (2022), retells the story of Kaikeyi, the queen from the Hindu epic Ramayana who is traditionally portrayed as the antagonist responsible for Rama’s exile. Patel presents Kaikeyi as a complex woman seeking agency in a patriarchal society, exploring themes of ambition, motherhood, political power, and female solidarity. Her second novel, Goddess of the River (2025), draws on Hindu mythology to tell the story of Ganga, the goddess of the river, examining divinity, sacrifice, and the relationships between gods and mortals. Patel’s work combines mythological storytelling with contemporary questions about gender and authority, challenging inherited narratives and bringing the perspectives of women to the centre of familiar cultural histories.