A wide-eyed boy growing up in suburban Calcutta in the 1960s experiences the world through the eyes of others - an intoxicating older cousin, a grandmother who weaves stories from the past and a family in London whose lives are intertwined with his. When a seemingly random act of violence threatens his vision of the world, he begins piecing together events for himself, and in the process unravels secrets with devastating consequences. Set in Calcutta and London and spanning generations from the outbreak of the Second World War to the late twentieth century, The Shadow Lines is a haunting novel from one of the world's greatest writers.
About Amitav Ghosh
An Indian author known for his historical fiction that often explores themes of colonialism, migration, and the interconnectedness of cultures around the Indian Ocean. His meticulously researched novels, such as The Ibis Trilogy, weave together personal narratives with grand historical events, offering profound insights into the complexities of global history and human experience. Ghosh's rich storytelling and historical scope have earned him international recognition.
Other Books by Amitav Ghosh
The Glass Palace
by Amitav Ghosh
Rajkumar is only another boy, helping on a market stall in the dusty square outside the royal palace, when the British force the Burmese King, Queen and all the Court into exile. He is rescued by the far-seeing Chinese merchant, and with him builds up a logging business in upper Burma. But haunted by his vision of the Royal Family, he journeys to the obscure town in India where they have been exiled. The story follows the fortunes – rubber estates in Malaya, businesses in Singapore, estates in Burma – which Rajkumar, with his Chinese, British and Burmese relations, friends and associates, builds up – from 1870 through the Second World War to the scattering of the extended family to New York and Thailand, London and Hong Kong in the post-war years.
River of Smoke
by Amitav Ghosh
Series: The Ibis Trilogy (#2)
The second book in Amitav Ghosh’s Ibis Trilogy, River of Smoke takes readers to 19th-century Canton, on the cusp of the Opium Wars. As East meets West in a bustling trading port, merchants, smugglers, and exiles navigate political intrigue and cultural clashes. The novel weaves multiple storylines—from botanical explorers to opium traders—shedding light on colonialism, global trade, and resistance. Rich in historical detail and multilingual voices, Ghosh paints a vivid portrait of a world on the edge of upheaval.
Sea of Poppies
by Amitav Ghosh
Series: The Ibis Trilogy (#1)
Amitav Ghosh’s Sea of Poppies is the first novel in the Ibis Trilogy, set in the lead-up to the First Opium War. It follows a diverse cast—peasants, coolies, convicts, and colonizers—whose lives converge aboard the Ibis, a ship bound for Mauritius. The novel explores themes of colonialism, caste, identity, and globalization, set against the opium trade in 19th-century India. Written in a polyphonic style with rich linguistic texture, it is a sweeping historical epic that combines political insight with human drama.
Similar Books
The Wildlands
by Abby Geni
In 'The Wildlands,' Abby Geni crafts a haunting exploration of loss, survival, and ecological reverence amidst a world scarred by disaster. Set in the aftermath of a catastrophic tornado that obliterates a family farm in rural Oklahoma, the novel follows the McCloud siblings as they grapple with poverty and fragmented dreams. Significant themes include the transformative power of grief and the unique bonds formed in shared hardship. Geni interweaves elements of a thrilling adventure with profound contemplations on humanity’s impact on the natural world. Engaging and poetic, 'The Wildlands' invites readers into its vivid landscapes and complex character dynamics.
Wolf Hall
Series: The Wolf Hall Trilogy (#1)
England in the 1520s is a heartbeat from disaster. If the king dies without a male heir, the country could be destroyed by civil war. Henry VIII wants to annul his marriage of twenty years and marry Anne Boleyn. The pope and most of Europe opposes him. Into this impasse steps Thomas Cromwell: a wholly original man, a charmer and a bully, both idealist and opportunist, astute in reading people, and implacable in his ambition. But Henry is volatile: one day tender, one day murderous. Cromwell helps him break the opposition, but what will be the price of his triumph?
Blood Meridian
Blood Meridian is an epic novel of the violence and depravity that attended America's westward expansion, brilliantly subverting the conventions of the Western novel and the mythology of the Wild West. Based on historical events that took place on the Texas-Mexico border in the 1850s, it traces the fortunes of the Kid, a fourteen-year-old Tennesseean who stumbles into a nightmarish world where Indians are being murdered and the market for their scalps is thriving.
The Great Gatsby
Set in the decadent summer of 1922, this masterpiece follows mysterious millionaire Jay Gatsby's obsessive pursuit of his former love, Daisy Buchanan. Through the eyes of narrator Nick Carraway, the story unfolds in a world of lavish parties and empty morality, exploring themes of wealth, love, and the corruption of the American Dream. As Gatsby's facade crumbles, the novel reveals the hollow heart of the Jazz Age.