Yangata felt stunned by these words. He had never thought about the question of whether cattle existed merely for human utility or whether humans were born for the utility of cattle or whether one is born merely for another's utility.

Traversing three generations of the Gowda family, who are cowherds by Jati, this novel is an exploration of the clash between Western scientific knowledge and the ethical and moral worldview that underpins it and the timeless custom of cow worship, which is central to the Indian ethos. The Kannada folk song 'Govina Haadu', which celebrates the truth-abiding Punyakoti cow, provides the backdrop to this compelling story.

Village headman Kalinga Gowda's grandson, also named Kalinga, studies agriculture and cattle rearing in the US and returns to his native village with his American wife, Hilda, to pursue farming. But Hilda's modern methods of farming and cattle rearing are at odds with the native traditional beliefs of the villagers. Her inability to understand local customs, and her complete unwillingness to adapt to the life here, begins a chain of conflict resulting in an explosive finale. Alone and alienated, Kalinga has to face the bitter truth of his own actions when his infant's survival is at stake.

Orphaned is a translation of Dr S.L. Bhyrappa's bestselling novel in Kannada, Tabbaliyu Neenade Magane.