In the Spring of 1857, with India on the brink of a violent and bloody mutiny, Krishnapur is a remote town on the vast North Indian plain. For the British there, life is orderly and genteel. Then the sepoys at the nearest military cantonment rise in revolt and the British community retreats with shock into the Residency. They prepare to fight for their lives with what weapons they can muster. As food and ammunition grow short, the Residency, its defences battered by shot and shell and eroded by the rains, becomes ever more vulnerable.

Sending to the next person in the Town & Country bookring part 2

Chosen from the Town and Country bookring, thank you!

Winner of the Booker Prize and shortlisted for the Best of Booker. When the Collector keeps finding stacks of chapatis, he knows trouble is in the offing and starts to prepare defences, but the rest of the British community in Krishnapur can't believe that the natives will cause any trouble since they absolutely believe that they are improving the natives' lives. When eventually the attack does occur, the colonists are trapped in their enclave with few resources, and the gradual disintegration of their veneer civilised culture under such conditions is described with both realism and humour. Worth reading though a bit slow paced at times.

Chosen by penelopewanders from Alphabet VBB round 17.

This book, selected from the Alphabet VBB, was waiting for me when I got back from holiday. Thanks so much for sending.