The Reading Dragons @UWCSEA East discussion

River of Smoke (Ibis Trilogy #2) : by Amitav Ghosh

The PAEast Book Clubbers met on a Wednesday afternoon, just before the Chinese New Year break. As is our custom, it all began with the food that we share. For this particular book meeting, the food was the start of the conversation since the story of the River of Smoke begins with a mouthwatering feast as well.

The book is the epic saga of the sailing Ibis and its survivors from Book #1, Sea of Poppies. In this second book of the trilogy, author Amitav Ghosh sets the scene in China, and the time before the Opium Wars. Some of the much-loved characters from Sea of Poppies continue their lives into this book.

However, the principal character is a new addition, an Indian trader from Bombay (Mumbai of the old), making his fortune from the transport and sale of crude opium to China, and the one who holds this tale together. From Mauritius, to Bombay, Singapore, Hong Kong and finally to Canton, Ghosh’s characters flow where the waters take them. Canton serves as their second chance- a new life, complete with a new set of skills, wives and children. The trade in opium enriches the foreign traders, as well as the corrupt local officials, while the addictive opium smoke spreads amongst the local population, thus causing alarm in the kingdom. On behest of their emperor, there begins a crackdown on the opium trade that brings the region, its people, and the book’s characters, into turmoil.

But it is Canton that is at the heart of this story. Rich period details abound. Ghosh’s extensively researched features - the hongs (foreign enclaves), the streets, the flotillas of local boat-people, the clothes, the smells, the tastes and textures of the foods, all these help to bring Canton alive and buzzing right in front of the eyes of the reader. As events unfold, leading up to the start of the Opium Wars, Ghosh skillfully manages to relive history, through the lives of his characters.

Opium is not the only botanical product that is being pursued for its riches. There are mini-adventures about other horticultural delights that are much prized in the British gardens. Included is a fabled golden camellia, the paintings of which provide the author an excuse to open a window to the world of chinese art and the artisans.

Adding another dimension to this piece of historical fiction is the the author's use of the prevailing languages. Using the nautical Laskari that was spoken by the multi-national sailors, and Pidgin, the unique language of trade of that time, as well as a mix of various dialects and languages of India, Ghosh manages to evoke the era by granting authenticity to the voices in this book.

There were too many characters that strayed into the story. A lack of pidgin and laskari glossary made the reading tedious at times. Our beloved heroines from the first book were all but absent in this one. And yet, we were enthralled and transported to the tumultuous times in the region and the rise of the colonial British powers. A history lesson was never so much fun.

And we begin our long wait for the last book in the trilogy, The Flood of Fire, to be released in 2015.

- Neetu Aggarwal.