Book Review
Dec. 31st, 2019 03:35 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kenjariFlood of Fire
by Amitav Ghosh
This is the final novel in the Ibis trilogy, and it brings everything to a satisfying conclusion. The story takes place in Indian and China during the First Opium War. Here we reconnect with Zachary Reid, a biracial American sailor who is cleared of wrongdoing after the events of Sea of Poppies and finds employment with Mr. Burnham, a wealthy English merchant, and a risky affair with Mrs. Burnham, first in Kolkata and then in Canton. We also follow Neel Rattan as he deals with the rapidly changing situation in Canton, Bahram's widow Shireen Moddie as she travels to Singapore and Canton to meet her husband's illegitimate son Ah Fatt and represent her late husband's interests in Canton, and Deeti's sepoy brother Kesri Singh as he is deployed to China to fight in the war. We see a little more of Paulette, as she carries on with her botany and gardening in the midst of turmoil. All of these characters are significantly changed by the Opium War. Kesri and Shireen both find liberation from the constraints of duty, while Zachary frees himself of poverty at the unfortunate cost of the discovery his capacity for ruthlessness, cold-hearted manipulation, and greed.
Ghosh's writing and narrative skills remain exceedingly good. He moves among the characters with clarity and ease to build a compelling story of ordinary people navigating the turmoil caused by greed and imperialism.
by Amitav Ghosh
This is the final novel in the Ibis trilogy, and it brings everything to a satisfying conclusion. The story takes place in Indian and China during the First Opium War. Here we reconnect with Zachary Reid, a biracial American sailor who is cleared of wrongdoing after the events of Sea of Poppies and finds employment with Mr. Burnham, a wealthy English merchant, and a risky affair with Mrs. Burnham, first in Kolkata and then in Canton. We also follow Neel Rattan as he deals with the rapidly changing situation in Canton, Bahram's widow Shireen Moddie as she travels to Singapore and Canton to meet her husband's illegitimate son Ah Fatt and represent her late husband's interests in Canton, and Deeti's sepoy brother Kesri Singh as he is deployed to China to fight in the war. We see a little more of Paulette, as she carries on with her botany and gardening in the midst of turmoil. All of these characters are significantly changed by the Opium War. Kesri and Shireen both find liberation from the constraints of duty, while Zachary frees himself of poverty at the unfortunate cost of the discovery his capacity for ruthlessness, cold-hearted manipulation, and greed.
Ghosh's writing and narrative skills remain exceedingly good. He moves among the characters with clarity and ease to build a compelling story of ordinary people navigating the turmoil caused by greed and imperialism.
