In this first book of the Raj Quartet, we are introduced to an India where everything is in flux. WWII has shown that the British are not invincible and the self-rule lobby is gaining many supporters. The rift that will eventually prise India - the jewel in the Imperial Crown - from colonial rule is beginning to gape wide. Against this background, Daphne Manners, a young English girl, is brutally raped in the Bidighat Gardens. The racism, brutality and hatred launched upon the head of Hari Kumar, Daphne's young Indian lover, echo the dreadful violence perpetrated on Daphne and reveal the desperate state of Anglo-Indian relations. Scott tells this dramatic story with style and insight, portraying the full spectrum of British Colonial and Indian society with a sharp yet compassionate eye.