Review: Sea of Poppies, a good tale told well

FIRST OF THE SERIES: 'Sea of Poppies' is set in the 19th century, right before the Opium Wars.

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New Delhi: Sea of Poppies is the first book in Amitav Ghosh's IBIS trilogy. It's set in the 19th century, right before the Opium Wars, a time when the British Empire got Indian farmers to cultivate massive amounts of opium, instead of their traditional crops.

Ghosh weaves a rich tapestry of character and place, whether it's the streets of Canton in China, or a village in inland Bihar. With characters like Zachary Reid, Paulette, Neel, the very strange but critical Baboo Nob Kissin, and of course Deeti, the feisty young woman from Bihar.

The center-piece of the book, is undoubtedly the slave-ship, the Ibis, where all main characters come together as coolies or indentured labour, as sailors, even prisoners.

They're en route to Mauritius, over the Black Water, the ocean so the old rules of caste consciousness cease to apply. Except of course, there's enough racial tension and on-board drama to keep you going, right through the 512 pages.

A lot of research has gone into Sea of Poppies but Ghosh does strike the right chord, getting you involved in his characters' lives, and their dilemmas, as well.

The language is a little over the top at times but a sprinkling of the vernacular and even nautical jargon adds the colour.

It's a good story told well, but keep in mind the ending is merely the setting for book two of the IBIS trilogy.