THE MUTE ANKLET
By Radhika Nathan

It's the 1790s in India. The third Anglo-Mysore War, between the kingdom of Mysore and the East India Company, is hurtling towards a climax. The British are lurching nervously towards Bangalore. Tipu Sultan is waging a ferocious battle.In this time of intrigue and hostility, the beauteous Uma Brooke, an Englishman's daughter, in the care of the maharajah of Mysore, is embroiled in a personal conflict of her own. The maharajah wants her to marry Captain Ashton Trevelyan of the British army, a man he takes an immediate liking to. Uma has no desire to hurt her gentle guardian; yet, prejudiced by the circumstances of her birth, and vociferous about her attachment to India, she cannot conceive of a future with a Briton. Detached Captain Trevelyan, on his part, feels compelled to submit to this marriage for reasons that are wholly strategic - after a failed siege, consenting to the maharajah's demand is the only way of salvaging the battle. Further complicating the impending wedding is a threat that follows Uma no matter where she goes; what seems to be a case of petty thievery morphs into a desperate, targeted assault.Uma and Captain Trevelyan must not only try defending themselves against the onslaught of history, but must also attempt securing their teetering association. Will their relationship - strained by verbal assaults and reckless sparring, tested by ideologies that clash - endure? Will Uma overcome her preconceptions and biases, and will Ashton, past his indifference, find empathy and concern? Most importantly, in an era of grand historical crusades, will there be time for the personal? Find out in this captivating novel.