Winter on the Plain of Ghosts
| Author: | Kernaghan, Eileen |
| Genre: | Novel - Historical |
| Written in the year 2004 and set in the time period: prehistory | |
| Places: | |
| Originally entered by James Schellenberg (Jul-04) | |
| Rating: | 9/10 |
Comments
A surprisingly effective historical novel/fantasy that takes place in the Indus River valley before the time described by the Rig Veda (Kernaghan talks a bit about this in her concluding Author's Note), ie thousands of years ago. A boy named Rujik grows up in the hill country, escapes with his best friend Bima before the two are sacrificed to a local goddess, and journey towards the big cities near the river. Bima joins a dance troupe, but she later meets up with Rujik again after Rujik has had many adventures. The two and their friends live under the careless/repressive rule of the Temple, and they become involved in the struggle against a dying political system. Kernaghan writes about the revolution very carefully -- this is no heroic struggle but rather a violent implosion. For what I thought would be a boy's adventure, this book was a welcome surprise. Nuanced, intriguing in theme, and balanced in its application of historical research. Kernaghan also includes a map of the various areas described in the book; the events mostly coincide with what is Pakistan today.
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