The first instalment in the Ibis Trilogy, Sea of Poppies is breathtakingly alive, a masterpiece from one of India's finest novelists. The story is set aboard the ship Ibis.
Synopsis
The destination of Ibis is China and its purpose is to participate in the Opium wars. As for the crew, they are a disparate collection of sailors and stowaways, coolies and convicts. During a period of colonial upheaval, destiny has thrown together a diverse cast of Indians and Westerners, from a bankrupt raja to a widowed tribeswoman, from a mulatto American freedman to a free-spirited French orphan. As their old family ties are washed away, they, like their historical counterparts, come to view themselves as jahaj bhais, or brothers in the ship. An unlikely dynasty is born, which will span continents, races, and generations.
About the Author
Amitav Ghosh was born in Calcutta in 1956. After the completion of his Ph.D. from Oxford University, he published his first novel in 1986. His other works include The Circle of Reason, The Shadow Lines, In An Antique Land, Dancing in Cambodia, The Calcutta Chromosome, The Glass Palace and The Hungry Tide. His books have been translated into more than twenty languages. He is married to the writer, Deborah Baker, and has two children, Lila and Nayan.
