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City of Melbourne Libraries

River of smoke

Ghosh, Amitav, 1956-2011
Book
The Ibis, loaded to its gunwales with a cargo of indentured servants, is in the grip of a cyclone in the Bay of Bengal; among the dozens flailing for survival are Neel, the pampered raja who has been convicted of embezzlement; Paulette, the French orphan masquerading as a deck hand; and Deeti, the widowed poppy grower fleeing her homeland with her lover, Kalua. The storm also threatens the clipper ship Anahita, groaning with the largest consignment of opium ever to leave India for Canton. And the Redruth, a nursery ship, carries 'Fitcher' Penrose, a horticulturist determined to track down the priceless treasures of China that are hidden in plain sight: plants that have the power to heal, or beautify, or intoxicate. All will converge in Canton's Fanqui-Town, or Foreign Enclave: a tumultuous world unto itself where civilizations clash and sometimes fuse. It is a powder keg awaiting a spark to ignite the Opium Wars.
Main title:
River of smoke / Amitav Ghosh.
Imprint:
London : John Murray, 2011.
Collation:
522 p. ; 24 cm.
Series title:
Notes:
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN:
9780719568992
Dewey class:
823.914
Language:
English
BRN:
73050
LocationCollectionCall numberStatus/Desc
Library at the DockFictionGHOSAvailable
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