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{{short description|2015 novel by Amitav Ghosh}}
{{Infobox book
| name = Flood of Fire
| title_orig =
| translator =
| image = Flood of Fire book cover.jpg
| caption = Flood of Fire book cover
| author = [[Amitav Ghosh]]
| cover_artist =
| country = India
| language = English
| series = [[Ibis trilogy]]
| genre = [[Novel]]
| publisher = John Murray
| release_date = 28 May 2015
| media_type = Print ([[Hardcover|hardback]])
| pages = 624
| isbn = 978-0-670-08216-2
| dewey =
| congress =
| oclc =
| preceded_by = [[River of Smoke]]
| followed_by =
}}

'''''Flood of Fire''''' is a 2015 novel by Indian novelist [[Amitav Ghosh]]. Following the ''[[Sea of Poppies]]'' (2008) and ''[[River of Smoke]]'' (2011), the novel is the final installment of the [[Ibis trilogy]], which concerns the 19th-century opium trade between India and China. The book was first published by the English publisher [[John Murray (publishing house)|John Murray]], and later by [[Farrar, Straus and Giroux]] in the United States. The novel was shortlisted for [[The Hindu Literary Prize]] and received the [[Crossword Book Award|Crossword Book Jury Award]] in Fiction in 2015.

== Plot ==
Following the storylines of the previous two parts, ''Sea of Poppies'' and ''River of Smoke'', the story continues in [[1839]]. Kesri Singh, brother of Deeti, is made aware that Deeti ran away from her husband's pyre by avoiding [[Sati (practice)|sati]]. She eloped with a lower-caste labourer and Singh's family is ashamed of the events. Kesri joins the British service as an Indian soldier at the rank of [[sepoy]]. He works for the [[East India Company]], where his superior is Deeti's deceased husband's brother. Zachary Reid, an American soldier born to a [[quadroon]] mother and a white father, pretends to be white and starts entering the trading business. Shireen Modi, an Indian Parsi woman, has left for China in search of her late husband's illegitimate child. In her pursuit, she starts to have feelings for her husband's close friend who is now helping her. She is fully aware that her relationship with this Armenian friend would be condemned by her orthodox [[Parsis|Parsi]] community. Neel Rattan Halder, once a king, has been separated from his son after he was arrested by the British. Neel has now absconded and remains a fugitive in order to avoid being jailed for his conviction on the false forgery charges, which Mr. Burnham had manipulated. The [[First Opium War]] has commenced and the characters find themselves in midst of these events.{{sfn|Ghosh|2015}}<ref name="NYT"/>

== Development and publication ==
Ghosh started working on the trilogy in 2004 but mentioned that he had conceptualised it after he finished his 2000 novel ''[[The Glass Palace]]''. He visited various places in China, Hong Kong, and Singapore to gather research material. By the time ''Flood of Fire'' was published, Amitav had published seven novels, which included two initial parts of this trilogy and five non-fictional works.<ref name="NYT">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/30/books/review/amitav-ghoshs-flood-of-fire.html|title=Amitav Ghosh's 'Flood of Fire'|newspaper=The New York Times|author=Lalami, Laila|date=26 August 2015|access-date=17 May 2017}}</ref>

Along with English, the characters in the book converse in other languages like [[Bengali language|Bengali]], [[Cantonese]], and [[Gujarati language|Gujarati]], and make use of the ornate dialect and the colloquial sailor terminology.<ref name="HT"/> The book was first published by the English publisher [[John Murray (publishing house)|John Murray]] on 28 May 2015, and later by [[Farrar, Straus and Giroux]] in the United States.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hodder.co.uk/Books/detail.page?isbn=9780719569005|title=Flood of Fire Ibis Trilogy Book 3 By Amitav Ghosh|publisher=Hodder & Stoughton|access-date=29 May 2017}}{{Dead link|date=April 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><ref name="BE">{{cite web|url=https://bepl.ent.sirsi.net/client/en_US/default/search/detailnonmodal/ent:$002f$002fSD_ILS$002f0$002fSD_ILS:1976441/ada|title=Flood of fire @ Buffalo & Erie County Public Library|publisher=Buffalo & Erie County Public Library|access-date=17 May 2017}}</ref> Maps in the book were drawn by Rodney Paull.{{sfn|Ghosh|2015|p=i}}

''Flood of Fire'' is the last installment of Ghosh's Ibis trilogy and deals with events between 1839 and 1841.<ref name="TI">{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/reviews/flood-of-fire-by-amitav-ghosh-book-review-10250108.html|title=Flood of Fire by Amitav Ghosh, book review|newspaper=The Independent|author=Mihir Bose|date=14 May 2015|access-date= 17 May 2017}}</ref> Rebutting all rumours, Ghosh confirmed in one of the book launch events that it is the last of the Ibis trilogy.<ref name="TH">{{cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/columns/Ziya_Us_Salam/amitav-ghosh-talks-about-flood-of-fire/article7286098.ece|title='The trilogy is over'|newspaper=The Hindu|author=Ziya Us Salam|date=6 June 2015|access-date= 17 May 2017}}</ref> In an interview, Ghosh mentioned that he used to feel
"devastated" after completing a book. So, he decided to write a trilogy so that he "could stay with the characters for a long time". Ghosh mentioned that he felt "an incredible sense of fulfilment" and expressed that with the trilogy, he achieved what he wanted to.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.thenationalnews.com/arts-culture/the-long-read-amitav-ghosh-on-flood-of-fire-the-final-part-of-his-scathing-account-of-the-opium-wars-1.95199|title=The long read: Amitav Ghosh on Flood of Fire, the final part of his scathing account of the Opium Wars|publisher=The National|author=James Kidd|date=11 June 2015|access-date=19 June 2017}}</ref>

== Critical reception ==
The book received favourable reviews.<ref name="FT">{{cite news|url=https://www.ft.com/content/82c986be-f894-11e4-be00-00144feab7de|title='Flood of Fire', by Amitav Ghosh|newspaper=Financial Times|access-date=17 May 2017}}</ref><ref name="LM">{{cite web|url=http://www.livemint.com/Leisure/PwZuphut5F9TfV9O65AQiP/Book-Review-Flood-Of-Fire-by-Amitav-Ghosh.html|title=Book Review: Flood Of Fire by Amitav Ghosh|publisher=Live Mint|author=Elizabeth Kuruvilla|date=30 May 2015|access-date=17 May 2017}}</ref><ref name="IE">{{cite news|url=http://indianexpress.com/article/lifestyle/books/opium-for-the-masses/|title=Book Review: 'Flood of Fire' by Amitav Ghosh|newspaper=Indian Express|author=Amar Farooqui|date=30 May 2015|access-date=17 May 2017}}</ref> Simar Bhasin of ''[[Hindustan Times]]'' appreciated "Ghosh's play with language" and mentioned that "the research done by the author and its consequent treatment is close to flawless". She further noted that the language would be challenging "for a reader who is unacquainted with '[[Hindustani language|Hindustani]]' and therefore many such phrases and double meanings would be lost on them".<ref name="HT">{{cite news|url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/books/amitav-ghosh-s-flood-of-fire-a-fitting-end-to-the-ibis-voyage/story-8XWiTyoQ1jnthAMN7QfXxI.html|title=Amitav Ghosh's Flood of Fire: A fitting end to the Ibis' voyage|newspaper=Hindustan Times|author=Bhasin, Simar|date=8 June 2015|access-date=17 May 2017}}</ref> Nilanjana Roy of ''[[Business Standard]]'' called the novel as "a brisk read for all of the dense historical research and period detail crammed into these 616 pages" and mentioned that "the strongest criticism of the Ibis trilogy is that it sometimes reads like a historical novel of that period, not just a historical novel about that period".<ref name="BS">{{cite news|url=http://www.business-standard.com/article/specials/book-review-flood-of-fire-115052900727_1.html|title=Book review: 'Flood of Fire' by Amitav Ghosh|newspaper=Business Standard|author=Nilanjana Roy|date=30 May 2015|access-date=17 May 2017}}</ref> ''[[South China Morning Post]]'' gave the novel five out of five stars, saying "few writers have combined popular and literary styles in a Hong Kong-set book better than Amitav Ghosh".<ref>{{Cite web |date=2015-06-10 |title=Author Amitav Ghosh's epic trilogy ends in Hong Kong |url=https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/books/article/1819227/author-amitav-ghoshs-epic-trilogy-ends-hong-kong |access-date=2022-11-18 |website=South China Morning Post |language=en}}</ref>

Mark Thomas of ''[[The Sydney Morning Herald]]'' reviewed the book as "an exceptionally well-read novel" and noted that Ghosh has kept the fortunes of characters as a mystery.<ref name="SMH">{{cite news|url=http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/books/flood-of-fire-review-amitav-ghoshs-poignant-end-to-opium-wars-triology-20150622-ghdsew.html|title=Flood of Fire review: Amitav Ghosh's poignant end to Opium Wars triology [sic]|newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald|author=Mark Thomas|date=26 June 2015|access-date=17 May 2017}}</ref> Wendy Smith of the ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' also noted that Ghosh did not wrap up the trilogy, "leaving in transition many people to whom we have grown attached over the course of three novels". She considers this as "a mark of his artistry that this ending, though in some ways inconclusive, nonetheless feels satisfying and right".<ref name="LAT">{{cite news|url=http://www.latimes.com/books/jacketcopy/la-ca-jc-amitav-ghosh-20150809-story.html|title=Review Amitav Ghosh sails into the Opium War with trilogy finale 'Flood of Fire'|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|author=Wendy Smith|date=6 August 2015|access-date=17 May 2017}}</ref>

[[Aram Bakshian]], a former speechwriter for [[List of Presidents of the United States|Presidents of the United States]] [[Richard Nixon]], [[Gerald Ford]], and [[Ronald Reagan]], in his ''[[The Washington Times]]'' review called the book as "a truly grand [[tamasha]]" while noting the "only downside is [Ghosh]'s tendency to get a bit preachy from time to time".<ref name="WT">{{cite news|url=http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/oct/29/book-review-flood-of-fire/|title=Book Review: 'Flood of Fire'|newspaper=The Washington Times|author=Aram Bakshian Jr.|date=29 October 2015|access-date=17 May 2017}}</ref> Alex Clark of ''[[The Guardian]]'' reviewed the book as "high seriousness and low humour drive";<ref name="TG">{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/jun/05/flood-of-fire-amitav-ghosh-review-instalment-trilogy|title=Flood of Fire by Amitav Ghosh review: The final instalment of an extraordinary trilogy|newspaper=The Guardian|author=Clark, Alex|date=5 June 2015|access-date=17 May 2017}}</ref> Katherine Powers of ''[[Chicago Tribune]]'' considered the book as "the best of the three volumes".<ref name="CT">{{cite news|url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/books/ct-prj-flood-of-fire-amitav-ghosh-20150730-story.html|title=Review: 'Flood of Fire' by Amitav Ghosh|newspaper=Chicago Tribune|author=Katherine A. Powers|date=30 July 2015|access-date=17 May 2017}}</ref>

==Awards==
In 2015, the novel received the [[Crossword Book Award|Crossword Book Jury Award]] in fiction category whereas the ''[[Scion of Ikshvaku]]'' by [[Amish Tripathi]] won the popular choice award in fiction category.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/books/features/Celebrating-writing-at-the-14th-Raymond-Crossword-Book-Award/articleshow/55706315.cms|title=Celebrating writing at the 14th Raymond Crossword Book Award|newspaper=The Times of India|date=30 November 2016|access-date=25 May 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thehansindia.com/posts/index/Life-Style/2016-11-30/Amish-Tripathi-Amitav-Ghosh-Ruskin-Bond-Radhakrishnan-Pillai-Twinkle-Khanna-win-big-at-the-14th-Raymond-Crossword-Book-Award/266425 |title=Amish Tripathi, Amitav Ghosh, Ruskin Bond, Radhakrishnan Pillai, Twinkle Khanna win big at the 14th Raymond Crossword Book Award. |work=The Hans India |date=30 November 2016 |access-date=19 June 2017 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161201144226/http://www.thehansindia.com/posts/index/Life-Style/2016-11-30/Amish-Tripathi-Amitav-Ghosh-Ruskin-Bond-Radhakrishnan-Pillai-Twinkle-Khanna-win-big-at-the-14th-Raymond-Crossword-Book-Award/266425 |archive-date=1 December 2016 }}</ref> It was also shortlisted for [[The Hindu Literary Prize]] which was eventually presented to [[Easterine Kire]] for her novel ''[[When the River Sleeps]]'' narrating the story of a hunter who is on a mission single-handedly looking for a powerful stone in a faraway river, which will make him omnipotent.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/books/literary-review/the-hindu-prize-2015-shortlist/article7813562.ece|title=The Hindu Prize 2015 Shortlist|newspaper=The Hindu|date=31 October 2015|access-date=2 December 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thehindu.com/features/lit-for-life/Lit-for-Life-The-Hindu-Prize-for-2015-goes-to-Easterine-Kire/article14003138.ece |title=Lit for Life: The Hindu Prize for 2015 goes to Easterine Kire |work=The Hindu |author=Zubeda Hamid |date=16 January 2016|access-date=19 June 2017}}</ref>

== References ==
{{Reflist|30em}}

== Further reading ==
* {{cite book|last=Ghosh|first=Amitav|title=Flood of Fire: A Novel|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VPcZCgAAQBAJ|date=4 August 2015|publisher=Farrar, Straus and Giroux|isbn=978-0-374-17424-8}}

== External links ==
*[http://www.amitavghosh.com/ Amitav Ghosh website]

{{Amitav Ghosh}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:2015 Indian novels]]
[[Category:Novels set in the 1830s]]
[[Category:Fiction set in 1839]]
[[Category:Novels by Amitav Ghosh]]
[[Category:Works about opium]]
[[Category:Indian historical novels in English]]
[[Category:Novels set in British India]]
[[Category:Novels set in Guangdong]]
[[Category:Novels set in Hong Kong]]
[[Category:Novels set in the Qing dynasty]]
[[Category:Novels set in the 19th century]]
[[Category:Novels set on ships]]
[[Category:John Murray (publishing house) books]]
[[Category:Farrar, Straus and Giroux books]]
[[Category:Postcolonial novels]]
[[Category:Novels about colonialism]]

Flood of Fire - Revision history

Michaelevansnet at 07:01, 31 January 2026