Kingfishers Catch Fire : A Virago Modern Classic

By the bestselling author of "Black Narcissus" and "The River"

'A haunting tale . . . the whole book burns with the beauty and poetry' – Evening Standard

'Powerful adult themes underlie the novel's glimmering surface' – Rosie Thomas, Guardian

'One of our best and most captivating novelists' – Philip Hensher

Sophie Barrington Ward, without a husband, with two children and very little income, is faced with making a new life. She arrives in the Eden of Himalayan Kashmir to set up home in a tumbledown cottage surrounded by flowers and herbs.

Settling down to live quietly, frugally and peacefully with her new neighbours, she is unaware of the turmoil her arrival provokes as the villagers compete fiercely for her patronage. Sophie is determined to live with the Indians and like it.

Pundit Pramatha Kaul, her wise landlord, shakes his head. Profit David, her merchant friend, warns her. But when Sophie's cook makes a drastic bid to secure his position, the unwanted consequences are catastrophic.

Mesmerising and thoughtful, this lesser-known Godden classic evokes India's uniquely beautiful landscape amidst a timeless tale of misunderstanding.