The Splendor of Silence [Audio Cassette]

Sneha Mathan (Narrator), Marguerite Gavin (Narrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 12, 2006

When Sam Hawthorne, a twenty-five-year-old U.S. Army captain, arrives at the princely state of Rudrakot in May of 1942, it is on a personal quest to find his missing brother. But Sam's mission is soon threatened by the unlikeliest of sources -- he falls hopelessly in love with Mila, daughter of the local political agent. And Mila, unexpectedly attracted to Sam, finds herself torn between loyalty to her family and the man she loves.

A sweeping and poignant story of forbidden love, The Splendor of Silence opens twenty-one years later with Olivia, Sam's daughter, receiving a trunk of treasures from India, along with an anonymous letter that finally fills the silences of her childhood. She finally learns the heartrending story of her parents' passionate and enduring love affair -- throwing them in the path of racial prejudice, nationalist intrigue, and the explosive circumstances of a country on the brink of independence from British rule.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Sundaresan (A Feast of Roses) returns to her native India for a sprawling story of forbidden love set against the backdrop of WWII and the struggle for Indian independence. U.S. Army Capt. Sam Hawthorne comes to the small kingdom of Rudrakot in the Sukh desert of western India, ostensibly to recover from an injury suffered during a rescue mission behind Japanese lines in Burma. Sam has secrets, however. He's a spy, a member of the fledgling OSS, and he's looking for his brother Mike, who disappeared while serving in a local regiment, the Rudrakot Rifles, where "even his name was false." Complicating matters, Sam has a brief but torrid affair with Mila, the daughter of the kingdom's Indian political agent, who is betrothed to the local prince. As Sam plots to free his brother from a nearby detention center, Mila's brother Ashok becomes involved in a nationalist plot to bomb the car of the local British representative in Rudrakot. The myriad subplots and some overwriting detract, but Sundaresan renders Rudrakot vividly and the sympathetic (if doomed) characters generate enough friction to keep the pot boiling. (Sept.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"With her third novel, Indu Sundaresan continues to display her talents as a great novelist of historical fiction. Finely researched and full of evocative details, this sweeping tale of intrigue brings to life a fascinating era with richly drawn characters and a story that is engrossing, deep, and surprising. Sundaresan will certainly please her many enduring fans as well as drawing in a wave of new ones." -- Samina Ali, author of Madras on Rainy Days

"Indu Sundaresan expertly blends together history, memorable characters, and the sights, colors, and smells of India to create a hugely compelling novel. It is, quite literally, a feast for the senses." -- David Davidar, author of The House of Blue Mangoes --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Audio Cassette
• Publisher: Blackstone Audiobooks; Unabridged edition (September 12, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786146044
• ISBN-13: 978-0786146048
• Product Dimensions: 6.3 x 4.2 x 2.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #8,895,912 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Indu Sundaresan was born and brought up in India, on Air Force bases around the country. Her father, a fighter pilot with the Indian Air Force, was also an avid storyteller--as was his father, Indu's grandfather. She grew up on their stories on various themes--Hindu mythology and fictional tales of an elephant and a horse living in the wilderness.

She came to the U.S. for graduate school at the University of Delaware and has two degrees; an M.S. in operations research and an M.A. in economics. But, the storytelling gene beckoned and she began writing soon after graduate school.

The Twentieth Wife (2002), based on the life of Mehrunnisa, Empress Nur Jahan, is the tale of one of India's most powerful women. This was her first published novel, but the third one she wrote--the first two still languish on the hard drive of some forgotten old computer and are never to be revived; they were practice runs and taught her how to write a novel.
She is the author of five books so far. The Twentieth Wife (2002); The Feast of Roses (2003); The Splendor of Silence (2006); In the Convent of Little Flowers (2008) and Shadow Princess (2010).

All of Indu's work has been published, in hardcover and paperback, in the U.S. by Pocket Books/Atria Books/Washington Square Press--imprints of Simon & Schuster. Her work has been translated into 17 languages to date.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Vivid and captivating, June 15, 2007

By 

Erin Brooks "Erin Brooks" (London) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Splendor of Silence: A Novel (Hardcover)

Being a big fan of her two previous books, I was looking forward to Sundaresan's new book. I wasn't disappointed. She is an amazing storyteller. This story takes you to a fictional region of Northwestern India, in May 1942. Sam Hawthorne is a US soldier on mission in Burma, who goes to Rudrakot to search for his missing brother. There he stays at the political agent's house, where he meets Mila. Mila is in love with Jai, the prince of Rudrakot, and is sure to marry him. Sam's presence in Rudrakot does not go unnoticed and causes a stir within the political and military circles, as well as within Mila's house and Mila herself, and it will have repercussions long after the 4 days are over. This whirlwind of a story tackles many topics, all relevant to understand the period and the conflicts within the characters: the effects of the British presence in India, the nationalist movement, politics, racism, young people coming of age, family relations, the social system in India and between Indians/ British, history. Sundaresan does a great job with this story which will stay with you a long time after you finish the last line. Highly recommended.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars strong historical tale, September 9, 2006

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Splendor of Silence: A Novel (Hardcover)

In 1942 in the Kingdom of Rudrakot in Northwest India, U.S. Army Captain Sam Hawthorne comes to this desert environs to recuperate from an injury he received while working a rescue behind Japanese lines in Burma. However, to the local desert people, Sam's claims as to why he is here seem odd. Truthfully, Sam is an espionage agent of the recently formed OSS, but his secret assignment is personal. His brother Mike vanished while voluntarily serving with the Rudrakot Rifles in an independence from the Britain movement.

Though he knows better, Sam cannot resist a tryst with Mila, engaged to a prince and the daughter of the kingdom's Indian political agent, who took the American into his home. He learns that his brother is a prisoner at a detention center and that Mila's brother Ashok has joined a group planning to assassinate the British representative in Rudrakot. If he stops the plot, he loses his chance to free his sibling.

Though the myriad of subplots can become difficult to follow though needed to emphasize the complexity of India in WW II, Indu Sundaresan provides historical fans with A FEAST OF ROSES as the deep look at Rudrakot enables readers to understand the war effort vs. the quest for independence. The story line is character driven by the locals who bring to vivid life the time and place. Sam is an interesting protagonist as he knows better, but cannot resist the lure of Mila. Fans will appreciate this strong historical tale.

Harriet Klausner

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Vivid and Fulfilling Read, May 12, 2007

By 

Jason T. (New York, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Splendor of Silence: A Novel (Hardcover)

For avid readers of historical fiction, Indu Sundaresan's latest book is a jewel. With elements of adventure, espionage and romance weaved into the story, you are left wanting more and yet, satisfied with the story's ending. The book paints a vivid picture of a world war two era city in India where an American soldier goes to look for his missing brother and in the course of a few days comes away with much more than he expected and leaves behind consequences that reverberate years after.