Published in 2000; set in 20th Century Burma, Malaya (now Malaysia) and India Amitav Ghosh (born in 1956 in Calcutta), who grew up in India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka A sprawling epic of love and colonialism, Ghosh’s novel follows several generations of Indians and Burmese as they either collaborate or resist the ever-present British Spans a century from the British invasion of Burma and the consequent fall of the Konbaung Dynasty in Mandalay, through the Second World War to late 20th century. Through the stories of a small number of privileged families, it illuminates the struggles that have shaped Burma, India and Malaya into the places they are today. Explores the various facets of the colonial period, including the economic fall of Burma, the rise of timber and rubber plantations, the moral dilemmas faced by Indians serving the British army, and the devastating effects of World War II