Paula Berinstein's Blog - Posts Tagged "sepoy-rebellion"

Shadow of the Moon by M.M. Kaye

What a story! What a book!

If you want to immerse yourself in 19th century British India, this is the book to read. Not only does the author envelop the reader in the sights, sounds, smells, and language of the place, but she conveys a deep sense of the political unrest that was roiling the land at the time.

It is absolutely gobsmacking how tone deaf, willfully ignorant, and arrogant the British East India Company administrators were. Oblivious to the customs, beliefs, and values of the Hindu, Moslem, and Sikh populations, they created misery, resentment, and ultimately violent rebellion against their rule, with tragic results for everyone.

There is also a love story. It's very romantic, if a bit forced. You know the two leads are going to end up together, and yet Kaye could have done a better job of showing how they came to love each other. She's a bit better with Winter, the girl than with Alex, the guy, who just suddenly seems to fall in love for no reason. At least that's how I see it. But I forgive her for that because the story as a whole is just so rich and compelling.

One thing I've noticed lately not only with this book but with a lot of other very successful authors is a lot of head hopping. I know the style has changed over the years and writers used to use a semi-omniscient viewpoint that readers accepted. This book is old enough that I can excuse it, although I did find it distracting. There are some contemporary authors who are still doing it though, and I don't know why. There are easy and elegant ways around it. Still and all, a great story and a wonderful book.