Amitav Ghosh's novel, Sea of Poppies, was shortlisted for the Booker prize and is the first in a projected trilogy. The story begins with a woman, Deeti, who has never seen the ocean, dreaming of a ship she has never seen. Her husband works in an opium factory and is also an addict. She eventually sails on a ship bound for the island of Mauritius, carrying a cargo of emigrants, prisoners and laborers rather than its usual cargo of opium.
This is a riveting tale of coolies, capitalists, pirates, palaces and prisons-an epic story full of colorful language bound to hold your interest. Ghosh is a prize-winning Indian novelist who lives in Brooklyn and teaches at Queens College. Refreshments, compliments of The Friends, will be served. Edna Ritzenberg will moderate. Copies of the book are available at the Circulation Desk
