It’s
the early 1920s and Rosalind James, “Rosy” to her friends, feels as if she’s
living two separate lives. She a
British girl living in India during a time when India, led by Gandhi, is desperately
trying to gain their independence.
Rosy feels torn. She loves
India. She loves the culture, the
land, and most of all the people.
She helps her aunts run an orphanage and she has her own little school
for Indian children. She even
secretly tutors an Indian girl.
However, Rosy can never forget that she is British and her well-to-do family
wants her to behave as a “proper lady”. He father is a high-ranking official in
the British Army with great respect for the British monarchy. Rosy realizes she has a unique
opportunity to help India when she is invited to a ball in Calcutta, which the
visiting Prince of Wales will be attending. However, the risks are great if she is caught. Not only would she disgrace her family,
she could be imprisoned for treason.
Historical
fiction has always held a certain fascination for me. I enjoy reading the books, knowing that they are based on
actual events in history. In the
Author’s Note at the back of the book, Gloria Whelan shares with us the parts of
the story that are true. The
character of Rosy (one of the “imaginary” parts) first came to life in one of
her previous novels about India. Then,
after discovering that the Prince of Wales visited India in the 1921, Ms Whalen
couldn’t stop thinking about what her character Rosy would had done if she had
had the opportunity to meet the prince on his trip. Hence, this book was born. Now, after reading the book, I feel compelled to learn more
about this time in history.
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