Book excerpt: Bhoopal Reddy animates the life and times of the legendary Gond rebel. Beautiful descriptions of life in a forest-dwelling community amidst nature are contrasted with the precarious nature of their existence and the ruthless exploitation they are subject to by outsiders and the state. Based on anecdotes and scant evidence Bhoopal Reddy re-imagines Komaram Bheem’s fight and rebellion in a far more powerful and poignant way than the myths that surround this larger-than-life icon.