For readers interested in historical fiction

One of the classics of Amitav Ghosh.

The book takes off with a slow start that explains in detail about the lush landscape and the kingdom of the Burmese monarchy run by King Thebaw. How a royal family of Mandalay degrades to live a sub standard life after the invasion of British is portrayed nicely. Rajkumar, the Indian orphaned boy left in Myanmar, captures the heart of the readers. Queen Suplayat remains to be a queen in her heart, even after every aspect of her royal life is shattered after being forced to move to India. She is a perfect example of someone failing to accept the reality.

When I turned to the last page of the novel, I felt as though I have traveled for 100 years on foot through the vast lands of Burma and India. The story runs through three generations taking us through the World War II, India’s struggle for independence, Burma’s fall and its transformation into Myanmar under a military dictatorship, to bring it to a befitting end.