Historical fiction books set in India (37)
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1.
A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry EN
IndiaDescription:
"A novel set in India during the Emergency, by the author of Such a Long Journey."
2.
The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy EN
Description:
Still, to say that it all began when Sophie Mol came to Ayemenem is only one way of looking at it . . . It could be argued that it actually began thousands of years ago. Long before the Marxists came. Before the British took Malabar, before the Dutch Ascendancy, before Vasco da Gama arrived, before the Zamorin’s conquest of Calicut. Before Christianity arrived in a boat and seeped into Kerala like tea from a teabag. That it really began in the days when the Love Laws were made. The laws that lay down who should be loved, and how. And how much.
3.
Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie EN
Description:
The story of Saleem Sinal, born precisely at midnight, August 15, 1947, the moment India became independent. Saleem's life parallels the history of his nation.
4.
Can You Hear the Nightbird Call? by Anita Rau Badami EN
Description:
LONGLIST 2008 - IMPAC Dublin Literary Award Anita Rau Badami's acclaimed novel Can You Hear the Nightbird Call? chronicles the stories of three women, linked in love and tragedy, over a span of fifty years, sweeping from the partition of India and Pakistan in 1947 to the explosion of Air India flight 182 off the coast of Ireland in 1985. Alive with Badami's warmth and humanity, and brimming with the daily sights and sounds of both Canada and India, this novel brilliantly conveys the tumultuous effects of the past on new immigrants, and the ways in which memory and myth, the personal and the po... continue
5.
Immortals of Meluha by Amish Tripathi EN
Description:
This is the first book in a trilogy on Shiva, the simple man whose karma re-cast his as our Mahadev, the God of Gods.
7.
Kim by Rudyard Kipling EN
Description:
Kim, an Irish orphan, accompanies a holy man on his journey throughout India and his quest for a mystical river.
8.
The Storyteller's Secret by Sejal Badani EN
Description:
Nothing prepares Jaya, a New York journalist, for the heartbreak of her third miscarriage and the slow unraveling of her marriage in its wake. Desperate to assuage her deep anguish, she decides to go to India to uncover answers to her family's past.
9.
Description:
"It was time for that tiny little dream that lay hidden all these years to gradually acquire a form and shape. The thought of making it come true was an audacious one. She dared not do it. On the other hand she dared a lot after all, she was Fateema Lokhandwala, a courageous young woman... " "As pots and words banged against each other, her two-wheeler would whizz past everything, leaving it all behind. Main road, Mashallah! Current-like, the city would course through her body... At such times, Fateema lived in the present, and in the future. " Thus begins Ila Arab Mehta s beautiful and skillf... continue
10.
The Enchantress of Florence by Salman Rushdie EN
Description:
A tall, yellow-haired young European traveller calling himself 'Mogor dell'Amore', the Mughal of Love, arrives at the court of the real Grand Mughal, the Emperor Akbar, with a tale to tell that begins to obsess the whole imperial capital. The stranger claims to be the child of a lost Mughal princess, the youngest sister of Akbar's grandfather Babar: Qara K÷z, 'Lady Black Eyes', a great beauty believed to possess powers of enchantment and sorcery, who is taken captive first by an Uzbek warlord, then by the Shah of Persia, and finally becomes the lover of a certain Argalia, a Florentine soldier ... continue
11.
Twilight in Delhi : A Novel by Ahmed Ali EN
Description:
Set during the early years of this century this book recaptues the texture of family life in Delhi.
12.
Baumgartner's Bombay by Anita Desai EN
Description:
A German Jew flees Germany to live in India. After a relatively successful business career, her retires to a rather impoverished life in the company of a pack of stray cats.
13.
Pather Panchali : Or Song of the Road: a Bengali Novel by Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay EN
Description:
In the idyllic village of the Abode of Contentment, Durga and her little brother, Opu, grow up in a world of woods, orchards and adventure. Nurtured on their aunt's songs and stories, they dream of secret magical lands, forbidden gardens and the distant railroad. The grown-up world of debts, resentment and bone-deep poverty barely touches them. Their parents, Shorbojoya and Horihor, also dream of the railroad, though as the gateway to lands with a better future. But can distance really change destiny? Will the railroad augur a triumphant future for the Roys, or a ballad of fates drastically al... continue
14.
Das Gleichgewicht der Welt by Rohinton Mistry DE
Description:
Man schreibt das Jahr 1975. Der Ort: Bombay. Hier treffen vier Menschen aufeinander, deren Schicksale im Mittelpunkt des Romans stehen. Dina Dalal, eine Frau Anfang Vierzig und seit fast zwanzig Jahren verwitwet; Maneck Kohlah, ein junger Student aus dem Gebiet des Himalajas; Ishvar Darji, ein unglaublicher Optimist und sein widerspenstiger junger Neffe Omprakash - zwei Schneider, die vor den unerträglichen Verhältnissen auf dem Land in die Stadt geflohen sind. Diese vier lernen sich kennen, achten und lieben und werden doch vom Schicksal wieder auseinandergerissen.
15.
Mitternachtskinder by Salman Rushdie DE
Description:
The life of a man born at the moment of India's independence becomes inextricably linked to that of his nation and is a whirlwind of disasters and triumphs that mirror modern India's course.
16.
The Bangalore Detectives Club by Harini Nagendra EN
Description:
'The first in an effervescent new mystery series. . . a treat for historical mystery lovers looking for a new series to savour (or devour)' NEW YORK TIMES 'A gorgeous debut mystery with a charming and fearless sleuth . . . spellbinding' SUJATA MASSEY 'Told with real warmth and wit. . . A perfect read for fans of Alexander McCall Smith and Vaseem Khan' - ABIR MUKHERJEE A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK OF 2022 Murder and mayhem . . . monsoon season is coming. _____________________________ Solving crimes isn't easy. Add a jealous mother-in-law and having to wear a flowing sari into the mix, and you'... continue
17.
Le dieu des petits riens by Arundhati Roy FR
Description:
Rahel et Estha Kochamma, des jumeaux de huit ans, vivent en Inde, entourés de leur grand-mère, Mammachi, qui fabrique des confitures trop sucrées, de l'oncle Chacko, un coureur de jupons invétéré, esprit romantique converti au marxisme pour les besoins de son portefeuille, de la grand-tante Baby Kochamma, qui nourrit un amour mystique pour un prêtre irlandais, et de leur mère Ammu, abandonnée par son mari, qui aime secrètement Velutha, un Intouchable. Un drame va ébranler leur existence et les séparer. Comment réagir quand, à huit ans, on vous somme de savoir " qui aimer, comment et jusqu'où "... continue
18.
Sea of Poppies by Amitav Ghosh EN
Description:
At the heart of this epic saga, set just before the Opium Wars, is an old slaving-ship, The Ibis. Its destiny is a tumultuous voyage across the Indian Ocean, its crew a motley array of sailors and stowaways, coolies and convicts. In a time of colonial upheaval, fate has thrown together a truly diverse cast of Indians and Westerners, from a bankrupt Raja to a widowed villager, from an evangelical English opium trader to a mulatto American freedman. As their old family ties are washed away they, like their historical counterparts, come to view themselves as jahaj-bhais or ship-brothers. An unlik... continue
19.
The Daughters of Madurai by Rajasree Variyar EN
Description:
Madurai, 1992. Janani, a poor young mother, is told she is useless if she can't produce a son. She is allowed to keep her first baby girl, but the rest are taken away as soon as they are born and murdered. But Janani can't forget the daughters she was never allowed to love. Sydney, 2019. Nila has a secret. But before she can say anything, her grandfather in India falls ill and she agrees to join her parents on a trip there. What she learns about her family changes her forever. This is a universal story about the bond between mothers and daughters, the strength of women, and the power of love.
20.
Train to Pakistan by Khushwant Singh EN
Description:
A novel about the suffering of millions during the partition of India.
21.
The Color of Our Sky : A Novel by Amita Trasi EN
Description:
In the spirit of Khaled Hosseini, Nadia Hashimi and Shilpi Somaya Gowda comes this powerful debut from a talented new voice—a sweeping, emotional journey of two childhood friends in Mumbai, India, whose lives converge only to change forever one fateful night. India, 1986: Mukta, a ten-year-old village girl from the lower caste Yellama cult has come of age and must fulfill her destiny of becoming a temple prostitute, as her mother and grandmother did before her. In an attempt to escape her fate, Mukta is sent to be a house girl for an upper-middle class family in Mumbai. There she discovers a f... continue
22.
The Far Pavilions by M. M. Kaye EN
Description:
A tale of the love of an English officer for an Indian princess set against the splendour of Imperial India at the end of the nineteenth century.
23.
Shadow of the Moon by M. M. Kaye EN
Description:
M. M. Kaye, author of The Far Pavilions, sweeps her readers back to the vast, glittering, sunbaked continent of India. Shadow of the Moon is the story of Winter de Ballesteros, a beautiful English heiress who has come to India to be married. It is also the tale of Captain Alex Randall, her escort and protector, who knows that Winter's husband to be has become a debauched wreck of a man. When India bursts into flaming hatreds and bitter bloodshed during the dark days of the Mutiny, Alex and Winter are thrown unwillingly together in the brutal and urgent struggle for survival.
24.
The Book of Everlasting Things by Aanchal Malhotra EN
Description:
FOR FANS OF ALL THE LIGHT WE CANNOT SEE, A LUSH, SWEEPING LOVE STORY ABOUT A HINDU PERFUMER AND A MUSLIM CALLIGRAPHER, SET AGAINST THE BACKDROP OF PARTITION “Monumental...A far-reaching love story.” —NPR (A Best Book of the Year) “Mesmerizing.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review) “Exquisite.” —Library Journal (starred review) “Majestic.” —Booklist (starred review) On a January morning in 1938, Samir Vij first locks eyes with Firdaus Khan through the rows of perfume bottles in his family’s ittar shop in Lahore. Over the years that follow, the perfumer’s apprentice and calligrapher’s apprentice ... continue
25.
Flying in Colors by Padma Prasad Reddeppa EN
Description:
Aunties tell nine-year-old Pavi that she's asking too many "big women" questions, but she's tired of grow-up secrets. How are babies born? And why do people die? A beautiful debut about family, tradition, and the healing that comes from finding the answers. It's 1975, Tamil Nadu, South India, and nine-year-old Pavi is living a carefree life with her large intergenerational family. Everyday is an adventure. Why not steal 233 mangoes from the neighbor's tree? Or make up grand stories that take her to Jupiter? If only there wasn't a sadness lingering over the family. You see, her uncle Selva died... continue
26.
The Twentieth Wife by Indu Sundaresan EN
Description:
'The narrative alternates between seductive languor and racy action which capture the opulence and drama of the Mughal kings. Sundaresan delightfully combines history and juicy gossip' - India Today Mehrunnisa - the Sun of Women - one of India's most legendary and controversial empresses ... a woman who overcame insurmountable obstacles through sheer brilliance and determination ... whose love shaped the course of the Mughal Empire. She is the twentieth wife. The daughter of refugees from Persia, growing up on the fringes of Emperor Akbar's opulent palace grounds, Mehrunnisa first encounters P... continue
27.
Description:
An NYRB Classics Original Basti is a beautifully written reckoning with the tragic history of Pakistan. Basti means settlement, a common place, and Intizar Husain’s extraordinary novel begins with a mythic, even mystic, vision of harmony between old and young, man and woman, Muslim and Hindu. Then Zakir, the hero, wakes to the modern world. Crowds gather. Slogans echo. Cities burn. Whether hunkered down with family or furtively meeting to exchange news with friends in cafés, Zakir is alone in a country lost to the politics of loneliness.
28.
The Forbidden Daughter by Shobhan Bantwal EN
Description:
Set in the sensual richness of India, Shobhan Bantwal's gripping new novel asks: Where can a woman turn when her life's greatest blessing is seen as a curse? It's a girl! For most young couples, news of their unborn child's gender brings joyful anticipation. Not so for Isha Tilak and her husband, Nikhil. They already have a beloved daughter, but Nikhil's parents, hard-wired to favor male children above all, coldly reject little Priya at every turn. Vain and selfish, they see female grandchildren as burdens, and would just as soon never meet the one growing in Isha's belly. Even the obstetricia... continue
29.
Heat and Dust by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala EN
Description:
The Booker Prize–winning novel—intertwining the narratives of two women, past and present, and their relationships to India—from the novelist, short story writer, and two–time Academy Award–winning screenwriter Ruth Prawer Jhabvala Partly set in colonial India during the 1920s, Heat and Dust tells the story of Olivia, a beautiful woman suffocated by the propriety and social constraints of her position as the wife of an important English civil servant. Longing for passion and independence, Olivia is drawn into the spell of the Nawab, a minor Indian prince deeply involved in gang raids and crimi... continue
30.
Murder Under a Red Moon by Harini Nagendra EN
Description:
"When new bride Kaveri Murthy reluctantly agrees to investigate a minor crime to please her domineering mother-in-law--during the blood moon eclipse, no less--she doesn't expect, once again, to stumble upon a murder. With anti-British sentiment on the rise, a charismatic religious leader growing in influence, and the fight for women's suffrage gaining steam, Bangalore is turning out to be a far more dangerous and treacherous place than Kaveri ever imagined--and everyone's motives are suspect. Together with the Bangalore Detectives Club--a mixed bag of street urchins, nosy neighbours, an ex-pro... continue
33.
A Shimla Affair by Srishti Chaudhary EN
Description:
...the future of India may lie in unexpected hands. 1940, Shimla, British India. Nalini Mistry longs for a life outside of the four walls of her home; reality, however, is different. Nalini and her two older sisters—Noor and Afreen—run the Royal Hotel Shimla, an opulent establishment that serves British high society. But when an underground revolutionary group asks them to aid a murderous conspiracy during the hotel’s Summer Jubilee Ball, they find themselves thrust headfirst into a dangerous game of lies. It doesn’t help that Nalini finds herself falling for Charles Nayler, a British officer;... continue
34.
The Moor's Last Sigh by Salman Rushdie EN
Description:
What do we do when the world's walls - its family structures, its value-systems, it political forms - crumble? The central character of this novel, 'Moor' Zogoiby, only son of a wealthy, artistic-bohemian Bombay family, finds himself in such a moment of c
35.
Description:
When her mother is jailed for being one of Gandhi's freedom fighters, ten-year-old Anjali overcomes her own prejudices and continues her mother's social reform work, befriending Untouchable children and working to integrate her school.
37.
Waiting for Mahatma by R. K. Narayan EN
Description:
"R.K. Narayan . . . has been compared to Gogol in England, where he has acquired a well-deserved reputation. The comparison is apt, for Narayan, an Indian, is a writer of Gogol's stature, with the same gift for creating a provincial atmosphere in a time of change. . . . One is convincingly involved in this alien world without ever being aware of the technical devices Narayan so brilliantly employs."—Anthony West, The New Yorker "The experience of reading one of his novels is . . . comparable to one's first reaction to the great Russian novels: the fresh realization of the common humanity of al... continue
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