Great Eastern Hotel is a lush historical novel that transports readers to Calcutta in August 1941, a city gripped by turmoil as the memory of Rabindranath Tagore's passing lingers. Set within the opulent corridors of the Great Eastern Hotel, a vibrant cast—Nirupama, a history student and Communist volunteer; Imogen, a young Englishwoman finding her place in the Raj; Kedar, a hopeful artist inspired by Cézanne; and Gopal, a street-smart pickpocket drawn into danger—intersect with an American soldier, a brilliant French chef, an heiress fleeing war-torn Europe, and officers navigating secret intelligence work. For readers who love immersive historical fiction, this paperback invites you into a story that is at once intimate and sweeping, stirring curiosity, sympathy, and wonder.
Ruchir Joshi threads these lives with interwoven perspectives, letting the hotel’s social world become a character in its own right. The narrative moves through smoky lounges, candlelit corners, and late-night conversations, blending history and humanity with a pace that is lively but never loses the emotional core. It’s a reading experience that rewards attention with quiet revelations, memorable scenes, and a sense of place that lingers after you turn the last page.
In this historical fiction, the city and its people reveal key themes—political conviction, nationalism, love, and the enduring power of art to sustain memory. The cast—artists, students, spies, cooks, and soldiers—encounter each other in ways that illuminate the era with nuance while keeping the focus on personal stakes and relationships, and the hotel setting becomes a cinematic stage for a journey that feels both intimate and expansive.
- Historical backdrop: Calcutta, August 1941, on the eve of upheaval and Tagore's passing
- Interwoven perspectives: Nirupama, Imogen, Kedar, Gopal, and others
- Vivid hotel setting: jazz, cuisine, art, and clandestine intelligence
- Themes of political commitment, nationalism, love, and resilience of art
- Rich, cinematic prose with immersive pacing
After finishing the book, readers gain a nuanced view of a pivotal moment in history and the people who live through it. The story leaves you thoughtful, inspired, and more confident in the power of art, memory, and human connection to endure through turmoil.
