On the Face of the Waters

by Flora Annie Steel

Flora Annie Steel nee Webster (who also wrote under the pseudonym A Fellow Mortal) (1847-1929) was an English writer. In 1867 she married a member of the Indian civil service, and for the next twenty-two years lived in India, chiefly in the Punjab, with which most of her books are connected. She was interested in relating to all classes of Indian society. The birth of her daughter gave her a chance to interact with local women and learn their language. She encouraged the production of local handicrafts and collected folk-tales. Her interest in schools and the education of women gave her a special insight into native life and character. In 1889 the family moved back to Scotland, and she continued her writing there. Her most ambitious effort was her novel, On the Face of the Waters (1896), describing incidents of the Indian Mutiny. She also wrote a popular history of India. Her other works include: Tales of the Punjab (1894), The Adventures of Akbar (1913), English Fairy Tales (1918) and The Law of the Threshold (1924).

Genres: India, Classics

380 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1897

About the author

Flora Annie Steel was an English writer. She was the daughter of George Webster. In 1867 she married Henry William Steel, a member of the Indian civil service, and for the next twenty-two years lived in India, chiefly in the Punjab, with which most of her books are connected.

When her husband's health was weak, Flora Annie Steel looked after some of his responsibilities. She acted as school inspector and mediator in local arguments.

She was interested in relating to all classes of Indian society. The birth of her daughter gave her a chance to interact with local women and learn their language.
She encouraged the production of local handicrafts and collected folk-tales, a collection of which she published in 1884.

Her interest in schools and the education of women gave her a special insight into native life and character. A year before leaving India, she co-authored and published The Complete Indian Housekeeper, giving detailed directions to European women on all aspects of household management in India.

In 1889 the family moved back to Scotland, and she continued her writing there.

Reviews

[Catherine Lienhard]

(1896) Very long, absorbing story of the Sepoy Rebellion and Siege of Lucknow & Delhi. Thorough knowledge of Indian and Kiplingesque British (only Mrs. Steel preceded Kipling in her Indian novels).

It is a fine novel.

(reviewed 4/15/67)

[Jordanna Fraiberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's great to see this book on here. I wrote my college senior thesis on this author/novel, examining the role of the "memsahib" in colonial women's fiction.

[Maura · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was published around 1897, I think, yet it seems surprisingly modern in the writing. What really struck me was the similarity of some characters and events (not the real ones) to those in MM Kaye's Shadow of the Moon. It makes sense that she would have known of this book though, given that it was written only a generation before and her own family connections to the military in India. So this book was like a rough draft of Shadow of the Moon.

[Selinalynn · Rating 1 out of 5]

I needed to read this for a class along with 16 other students. I found it to be extremely difficult to get into. It was quite boring and I could not connect with any of the characters. There really wasn't much excitement and most of the other students in my class agreed.

[Ian Burke · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit tedious but overall a captivating read.

[Christiane · Rating 2 out of 5]

Flora Annie Steel’s book, a mixture of fact and fiction, was published to critical acclaim 40 years after the Mutiny. It’s practically a moment-by-moment account of the rebellion, switching back and forth between the British positions and the Mughal court.

For my taste there was too much fiction (especially the scenes at court), the writing was too antiquated and flowery and there was too much melodrama and swashbuckling. When I got to 70% on my Kindle I decided to give up in favour of William Dalrymple’s “The last Mughal”.

[G · Rating 4 out of 5]

that M.M. Kaye ripped off a LOT from the Raj writers. Sadness.