ONCE Upon a Summer By MANJUL BAJAJ

Inspired by a true narrative, Once Upon a Summer is a tender interracial love story set in the picturesque hill station of Nainital during the British Raj. A parallel plot in New York weaves through the heartwarming novel, which spans across generations, time periods, and locations.

This moving tale by renowned novelist Manjul Bajaj explores the haunting force of memory as well as race and social divides.

It’s 1906 in pre-independence India. Madeline, a lively young English girl, develops a fascination for her handsome horse groom, Azeem. In idyllic Nainital, between riding lessons for Madeline through pine forests, and English lessons for Azeem under a pear tree, an impossible, dangerous love, breaching the boundaries of race and class, starts to blossom.

Almost five decades later, in New York, the publisher Alfred Allye, who has lost his wife Rose, is nostalgic. He thinks about India; of the inviolate connection he shares with Azeem; about Rose and her deep attachment to Madeline. The recollections refuse to still; they spread outwards and onwards, carrying far-reaching ripples.

Once Upon a Summer, the latest novel by one of the most lyrical writers of our times, is a multi-generational ode to love. Equally, it is a story about the hold of memory; about its capacity to move across time and space and permeate lives.

Manjul Bajaj says, ‘When I came across this true love story from pre- independence India, it called to me urgently. At its centre were a young British woman who spoke six languages and a young Indian man, of unknown pedigree, who was an exceptional horse groom. It set me thinking about what language love speaks in. From this kernel, the story grew in all directions, across generations and geographies, exploring the themes of languages and literature, of books and book publishing, of the place of storytelling in our lives.’

Dharini Bhaskar, Associate Publisher, Literary at HarperCollins India says, ‘Manjul Bajaj is a remarkably lyrical writer. And Once Upon a Summer, inspired by a real-life story, reminds us of Manjul’s capacity to make every tale a song. Equally, it underscores, with subtlety and insight, the fact that love is meant to transgress social conventions. To me, the story of Azeem and Madeline is a story for today. All of us are HarperCollins India are delighted to publish Manjul’s latest novel.’

Praise for Manjul Bajaj

‘Bajaj writes with an unbridled candour that takes the reader straight into the rich emotional cauldron of the lives of her characters. And one cannot miss the awareness with which she chooses her words that convey the meaning intended so powerfully.’ —Deccan Herald

‘Completely at ease with her material, Bajaj skirts dangerously close to stereotypes, only to spring a little twist that alters, quietly subverts, and in doing so provides a glimpse into human nature’s profound ability to be lofty.’—Outlook

‘The unmistakable vernacular spirit—not only of her ancestral Punjab but of much of rural north India—comes to sensual life in the English fiction of Manjul Bajaj […] The complexity of Bajaj’s empathy for the poor and dispossessed prevents [her work] from crumbling into the sugary simplicity of sympathy.’ —Los Angeles Review of Books

‘[Bajaj’s work] reminds me of the rich literature evident in the writings of the progressive writers […] She brings English to capture the nuances of the real India. Now only if other writers would venture that far.’ —Asian Age

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Manjul Bajaj grew up in Lucknow. She graduated in economics from Delhi University and then did a master’s degree in rural management and another in environmental science. She worked in the field of environment and rural development before she became a writer. She is the author of Come, Before Evening Falls (2010), Another Man’s Wife (2012), In Search of Heer (2019), The Book of Bullah (2024) and The Songs of Meera (forthcoming). She has also written two books for children—Elbie’s Quest (2013) and Nargisa’s Adventures (2016). Manjul’s work has been shortlisted for various literary prizes over the years. She currently lives in Goa with her husband, her two sons having flown the nest.

Published By Harper Collins India
Paperback |Fiction| 368 pp | INR 499
Releasing June 27, 2025