A New York Times Book Review Editors ChoiceA Washington Post Notable Fiction Book of YearA NPR Best Book of the YearIn Amitav Ghoshs Sea of Poppies the Ibis began its treacherous journey across the Indian Ocean bound for the cane fields of Mauritius with a cargo of indentured servants Now in River of Smoke the former slave ship flounders in the Bay of Bengal caught in the midst of a deadly cyclone The storm also threatens the clipper ship Anahita groaning with the largest consignment of opium ever to leave India for Canton Meanwhile the Redruth a nursery ship carries horticulturists determined to track down the priceless botanical treasures of China All will converge in Cantons Fanqui-town or Foreign Enclave a powder keg awaiting a spark to ignite the Opium Wars A spectacular adventure but also a bold indictment of global avarice River of Smoke is a consuming historical novel with powerful contemporary resonance.
