A Far Horizon

In 1756 Calcutta is a city on the brink of Empire. The grandiose buildings of White Town, settled about Fort William, stand in stark contrast to the bustle of Black Town across the Maratha Ditch. In White Town Chief Magistrate Holwell and his arch-rival Governor Drake must unite to outwit the dangerous schemes of the nawab of Murshidabad. In Black Town the half-cast girl Sati, believed possessed by the Goddess Kali, finds herself the centre of a religious cult. But in Murshidabad the nawab wishes only to rid India of the British - an obsession that will lead to the notorious incident of 'The Black Hole of Calcutta.' 'Chand tells the story in a direct and compelling manner. The prose sweeps forward, and she evokes the period beautifully.' Telegraph 'Gripping... This rich and powerful novel is a wonderful historical epic and a poignant account of human suffering.' Good Book Guide Set in Bengal in 1756, this story traces British interaction with the Indians in the months leading up to the infamous Black Hole of Calcutta incident, in which approximately 250 caucasians were imprisoned by Indian merchants in a tiny room, leaving only 30 alive the next day. We follow the lives of two British leaders of the white community, the Chief Magistrate Holwell and his enemy, the governor Drake. In the Indian community, mixed-race Sati causes commotion when she becomes possessed by the goddess Kali. Against a vividly created backdrop of dirt, decay, and slime from the Hoggly river, Chand shows the shaky foundations of British power and how the British come to realize the extent of their independence on the indigenous population