These books about India are the greatest!! This compelling book takes place just prior to the Opium Wars. Life along the Ganges and Hooghly Rivers in India revolve around Opium plantations, manufacture, and trade, with England being the beneficiary of the labors of the Indians. A group of disparate people -- a raj who is jailed on debt charges, a widow of a poppy grower, displaced workers, a young boatman, and a high-society french woman, end up on a ship headed to Mauritius to work the plantations as slaves.

Mailed to Valpete. I hope that you enjoy the book.

I'm really looking forward to reading this book. Thanks for your generosity!

I'm releasing this book to someone with it on her Wishlist. I had good intentions to read it, but just haven't found the time. Enjoy!

2011-04-11 => This gem arrived safely in the mail. THANX!!
2021-10-20 => Just finished this one. I wanted to sit with this book more than I was able to. I had a tough time with some of the words - especially the lingo of the shipboard crew. At first I had a bit of trouble keeping up with all the different characters and eventually that smoothed out for me. I found the book to be a compelling read - I did not want to put it down. I grew attached to the characters and am anxiously awaiting the second book of the trilogy from the library.

On its way to MmeClinton

I am pretty sure I read this years ago and loved it, but I wanted to read the other two in the trilogy and realized I needed to reread this one first... so many thanks to Ciloma for sending it along; I will get the two others out of the library and make a go of it all!