Synopsis: The Iron Pillar (Women's Fiction)
Posted: October 26th, 2010, 10:36 am
Hello everyone. I've found the help offered on these forums with regards to my query letter to be invaluable. Here's my first attempt at a one page synopsis (sorry if it tends to be a bit rough, it IS my first draft), I can't wait for the feedback. Thank you kindly for your help :-D
Daly English would rather keep to herself than risk opening her heart to pain. At twenty-five, she has felt pain enough for a lifetime; she’s already suffered through the death of her beloved father and the emotional estrangement of her mother, and now faces abandonment by her long-term boyfriend and the loss of her job as a middle school art teacher due to a failing economy. Now Daly must move back to a town, where she never felt at home and attempt coexistence with the mother who shunned her long ago.
Wallowing in self-pity would be admitting defeat. Daly finds it much more natural to stave off emotional encounters by cataloging them in her idiosyncratic written collection. She reasons that once the purest form of a given emotion has been experienced, there is no longer any need to acknowledge its derivative forms. This technique serves her well, until she meets someone who cares too much to let Daly retreat into herself.
Kashi, a light-hearted charmer from India, is a firm believer in the power of destiny, refusing to take Daly on a date until they have met by chance a total of three times—a hat trick of fate. Comforted by his perennial optimism and carefree attitude, Daly slowly allows herself to fall in love with Kashi. Their romance unfolds quickly after an enchanting first date at the zoo and a sensual second date at a starlit summit. Before they can commit themselves to each other for life, Daly must journey to Kashi’s hometown of New Delhi and obtain approval from his family.
In Delhi, Daly encounters the mysterious Iron Pillar—a monument that is believed to have magical properties. Having been tormented by negative feelings throughout her life, Daly wishes for nothing more than contentment. Her encounter with the pillar offers a turning point in the novel. Shortly after, the lovers are discovered in a midnight tryst on the family’s rooftop terrace. Kashi’s parents are distraught, summarily rejecting Daly. She runs away into the unknown foreign city, where she joins up with a tour group.
In Daly’s absence, Kashi’s parents attempt to force an arranged marriage on him. With the help of his sisters, Kashi encourages them to reconsider his attachment to Daly. Thus gaining their approval, he scours the vast city and eventually discovers that Daly has gone to Agra with the tour group. He catches up with Daly at the Taj Mahal, where he apologizes and asks for her hand in marriage. The two return to Delhi and have an extravagant three-day wedding ceremony. They settle into married life happily and all seems in order until Kashi is summoned to India on family business.
During the course of his transatlantic flight, a fire of unknown origin causes an explosion killing all passengers instantaneously. This tragedy is made even more difficult for newly-widowed Daly by the remembrance of her late father, who worked as a pilot.
Daly’s mother, Laine, watches as her daughter numbs herself to the world around her. Laine realizes that if she is to offer Daly deliverance from the shackles of an overly-guarded heart, she must first confront the similar grief that has been plaguing her for more than thirteen years.
Daly English would rather keep to herself than risk opening her heart to pain. At twenty-five, she has felt pain enough for a lifetime; she’s already suffered through the death of her beloved father and the emotional estrangement of her mother, and now faces abandonment by her long-term boyfriend and the loss of her job as a middle school art teacher due to a failing economy. Now Daly must move back to a town, where she never felt at home and attempt coexistence with the mother who shunned her long ago.
Wallowing in self-pity would be admitting defeat. Daly finds it much more natural to stave off emotional encounters by cataloging them in her idiosyncratic written collection. She reasons that once the purest form of a given emotion has been experienced, there is no longer any need to acknowledge its derivative forms. This technique serves her well, until she meets someone who cares too much to let Daly retreat into herself.
Kashi, a light-hearted charmer from India, is a firm believer in the power of destiny, refusing to take Daly on a date until they have met by chance a total of three times—a hat trick of fate. Comforted by his perennial optimism and carefree attitude, Daly slowly allows herself to fall in love with Kashi. Their romance unfolds quickly after an enchanting first date at the zoo and a sensual second date at a starlit summit. Before they can commit themselves to each other for life, Daly must journey to Kashi’s hometown of New Delhi and obtain approval from his family.
In Delhi, Daly encounters the mysterious Iron Pillar—a monument that is believed to have magical properties. Having been tormented by negative feelings throughout her life, Daly wishes for nothing more than contentment. Her encounter with the pillar offers a turning point in the novel. Shortly after, the lovers are discovered in a midnight tryst on the family’s rooftop terrace. Kashi’s parents are distraught, summarily rejecting Daly. She runs away into the unknown foreign city, where she joins up with a tour group.
In Daly’s absence, Kashi’s parents attempt to force an arranged marriage on him. With the help of his sisters, Kashi encourages them to reconsider his attachment to Daly. Thus gaining their approval, he scours the vast city and eventually discovers that Daly has gone to Agra with the tour group. He catches up with Daly at the Taj Mahal, where he apologizes and asks for her hand in marriage. The two return to Delhi and have an extravagant three-day wedding ceremony. They settle into married life happily and all seems in order until Kashi is summoned to India on family business.
During the course of his transatlantic flight, a fire of unknown origin causes an explosion killing all passengers instantaneously. This tragedy is made even more difficult for newly-widowed Daly by the remembrance of her late father, who worked as a pilot.
Daly’s mother, Laine, watches as her daughter numbs herself to the world around her. Laine realizes that if she is to offer Daly deliverance from the shackles of an overly-guarded heart, she must first confront the similar grief that has been plaguing her for more than thirteen years.