Gun Island: A spellbinding, globe-trotting novel by the bestselling author of the Ibis trilogy

Description

Bundook. Gun. A common word, but one which turns Deen Datta's world upside down. A dealer of rare books, Deen is used to a quiet life spent indoors, but as his once-solid beliefs begin to shift, he is forced to set out on an extraordinary journey; one that takes him from India to Los Angeles and Venice via a tangled route through the memories and experiences of those he meets along the way. There is Piya, a fellow Bengali-American who sets his journey in motion; Tipu, an entrepreneurial young man who opens Deen's eyes to the realities of growing up in today's world; Rafi, with his desperate attempt to help someone in need; and Cinta, an old friend who provides the missing link in the story they are all a part of. It is a journey which will upend everything he thought he knew about himself, about the Bengali legends of his childhood and about the world around him. Gun Island is a beautifully realised novel which effortlessly spans space and time. It is the story of a world on the brink, of increasing displacement and unstoppable transition. But it is also a story of hope, of a man whose faith in the world and the future is restored by two remarkable women.

Amitav Ghosh was born in Calcutta in 1956. He grew up in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and India. He studied at the universities of Delhi and Oxford and published the first of eight novels, The Circle of Reason in 1986. He currently divides his time between Calcutta, Goa and Brooklyn. The first novel in his Ibis trilogy, Sea of Poppies, was shortlisted for the Man Booker prize.

Praise for Amitav Ghosh: - . Ghosh is a deeply serious writer, sure of his human and historical insights ... I cannot think of another contemporary writer with whom it would be so thrilling to go so far, so fast - The Times A born storyteller - Literary Review Praise for the Ibis Trilogy: - . This is a panoramic adventure story, with a Dickensian energy and scope - Sunday Telegraph A ripping post-colonial yarn . . . Ghosh spins a fine story with a quite irresistible flow, breathing exuberant life . . . an absorbing vision - Guardian Ghosh's narrative is enriched with a wealth of historical detail . . . as well as intricate characterisation that makes interaction among the diverse group truly absorbing - The Times