The Immortal King Rao by Vauhina Vara

There are three components to this novel, and two of them I very much liked and one I did not. The novel follows King’s origin story as a child growing up on an Indian coconut plantation known as the Garden; his arrival in America and meteoric rise to prominence as the head of the world-redefining Coconut Computer Corporation; and the dystopian future where the blending of technology and life has gone a step or two too far. The story is narrated by King’s daughter, Athena, who, like King, grows up without a mother and possesses an uncanny kinship with advanced technology. Athena’s account is framed as a confession, made while in prison for a crime that should be impossible but isn't in this constructed future time. King Rao is born under a bad star. His mother, Radha, becomes pregnant as the result of rape, then dies in childbirth. The baby is left in the care of her sister, Sita, who is also forced to take on the burden of Radha’s no-good husband. The family is Dalit but succeeds in spite of this, but only to a point. King has massive talents which bring him to the US and to great success. The undercurrent is that while King tries to use his gifts for the greater good, there is a huge monetary component that corrupts it all. His naivete about that is his downfall.