Author:Paul Scott
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NOW A BBC RADIO 4 EXTRA DRAMATISATION STARRING ANNA MAXWELL MARTIN AND PRASANNA PUWANARAJAH
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BOOK ONE OF THE RAJ QUARTET
India 1942: everything is in flux. World War II has shown that the British are not invincible and the self-rule lobby is gaining many supporters. Against this background, Daphne Manners, a young English girl, is brutally raped in the Bibighat Gardens. The racism, brutality and hatred launched upon the head of her young Indian lover echo the dreadful violence perpetrated on Daphne and reveal the desperate state of Anglo-Indian relations.
The rift that will eventually prise India - the jewel in the Imperial Crown - from colonial rule is beginning to gape wide.
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'A major work, a glittering combination of brilliant craftsmanship, psychological perception and objective reporting... Rarely have the sounds and smells and total atmosphere been so evocatively suggested' - New York Times
'Absorbing and brilliant... A triumph' - Evening Standard
'One of the most important landmarks of post-war fiction... A mighty literary experience' - The Times
'Quite simply, monumental' - Washington Post
A major work, a glittering combination of brilliant craftsmanship, psychological perception and objective reporting... Rarely have the sounds and smells and total atmosphere been so evocatively suggested
—— New York TimesAbsorbing and brilliant... A triumph
—— Evening StandardOne of the most important landmarks of post-war fiction... A mighty literary experience
—— The TimesQuite simply, monumental
—— Washington PostExceptional
—— New YorkerAn excellent debut...a moving and powerfully told story of late coming-of-age and redemptive love
—— Literary ReviewTells the slowly unfolding story of Baines' journey of self-discovery with great subtlety
—— Sunday TimesQuinn has a cinematic eye for narrative scope... Like all good novels this book tells us something new
—— SpectatorAn absorbing tribute to the city and its unsung heroes
—— Holly Kyte , Sunday TelegraphIn a novel of cinematic denouements, Quinn has reclaimed an intriguing chapter of Liverpool's past
—— Emma Hagestadt , IndependentA real page-tuner
—— Mail on SundayHe [Anthony] hooks you in with his deep, complex characters; he meticulously sets the scene
—— www.thebookbag.co.uk