AMITAV GHOSH

The Ibis, loaded to its gunwales with a cargo of indentured servants, is in the grip of a cyclone in the Bay of Bengal; among the dozens flailing for survival are Neel, the pampered raja who has been convicted of embezzlement; Paulette, the French orphan masquerading as a deck hand; and Deeti, the widowed poppy grower fleeing her home­land with her lover, Kalua. The storm also threatens the clipper ship Anahita, groaning with the largest consignment of opium ever to leave India for Canton. And the Redruth, a nursery ship, carries “Fitcher” Penrose, a horticulturist determined to track down the priceless treasures of China that are hidden in plain sight: plants that have the power to heal, or beautify, or intoxicate. All will converge in Canton’s Fanqui-Town, or For­eign Enclave: a tumultuous world unto it­self where civilizations clash and sometimes fuse. It is a powder keg awaiting a spark to ignite the Opium Wars.

Amitav Ghosh is the internation­ally bestselling author of many works of fiction and nonfiction, including The Glass Palace, and is the recipi­ent of numerous awards and prizes. Ghosh divides his time between Kol­kata and Goa, India, and Brooklyn, New York.

Members get in FREE! General Admission requires purchase of event book OR a $10 gift card (admits 2).