Why a Booktrail?
1800s C: A sweeping saga and romance during the dark days of the Indian mutiny
Shadow of the Moon
What you need to know before your trail
Winter de Ballesteros is a beautiful English heiress who has come to India to be married. Captain Alex Randall has accompanied her as her escort and protector but he knows deep down that the man she is to marry is a debauched wreck of a man.
The dark days of the British/Indian mutiny cause them all to be thrown together in ways none of them could have foreseen in order to simply survive.
Travel Guide
British India and the days of the Indian Mutiny of 1857.
We are immediately thrown into the days of this chaotic time in history – a time of war and bloodshed and the most brutal side of humanity.
An English heiress comes to India
The story of Winter is a fascinating one – she is a wealthy heiress born in India who is then sadly orphaned and so is sent to England were she is raised by relatives who seem to be most reluctant to look after her. The only power of good in her life is her great-grandfather and it is he who send hers to be with Alex Randall and to be joined with her fiancee back in India. This man, once her childhood hero is now little more than a drunk yet Winter wishes to travel back to India and to see him.
The journey itself is not a straight forward one –
“the creaking pandemonium of the labouring ship”
Indian tapestry
Back in India the picture painted of the country is a colourful tapestry sadly – rich in colour, emotions and vibrancy. Yet a delicate tapestry which is slowly but surely ripped and destroyed by those with knives and weapons. Some of the locations do not exist – Lunjore where the main characters are based does not exist yet the name gives clues to its inspiration – Lucknow where the story ends was very much a real part of the conflict.
The Sepoy rebellion
Due to the history and nature behind the book including the Sepoy rebellion, there are some gruesome scenes in the book but they merge to form a realistic picture of just how brutal this period of India’s history was.
“The Sepoys sir, were granted special allowances for service outside British held territory. We have used then to conquer vast provinces…”
MM Kaye was born in India at this time and so has a good understanding as well as a keen insight into the country. Various locales tell the story of the brutality along the way – the sacrifice in the cave being just one. Historical figures such as Sir Henry Lawrence, appear to bring the historical importance of the time to the fore – he was a British soldier and statesman in India, who died defending Lucknow during the Indian Mutiny.
And all throughout this turbulent time, a love story blossoms whilst danger lurks.
Where Next?
