⭐ Quick Tip: How to Read This Book?
-
Use the Table of Contents beneath the book blurb on the right side to jump to any part of this e‑book. Only subscribed members can unlock the book's content, so make sure to log in!
B. M. Croker
Angel a Sketch in Indian Ink
B. M. Croker, renowned for her sharp depictions of Anglo-Indian life, delivers a penetrating social study in Angel: A Sketch in Indian Ink. This novel is a finely observed comedy of manners set within the isolated, gossipy expatriate community of a late 19th-century British military cantonment. The central figure is Angel, a charming and beautiful young Englishwoman whose identity and history are shrouded in a delicate mystery. Arriving in India, her natural grace and simplicity instantly captivate the men and provoke the malicious curiosity and suspicion of the tightly-knit society of military wives, the "fishing fleet." Croker masterfully dissects this world where oppressive heat, vast leisure time, and scarce entertainment create a hothouse environment ripe for social climbing and romantic rivalry.
Angel, with her quiet dignity and intriguing background, becomes a magnet for both intense admiration and relentless, subtle persecution. Her refusal to conform to the rigid, prescribed norms of the station marks her as an outsider. The plot hinges on the pressing questions of Angel's parentage and financial prospects—the chief concerns of the Raj's marriage market. Rumors constantly swirl, threatening to undermine her social position entirely as multiple suitors, from handsome officers to established but flawed figures, are drawn into her orbit. Through Angel’s quiet struggle, Croker offers a pointed critique of the colonial experience, not through grand politics, but by examining the moral pettiness and hypocrisy that defined British social life in India. The title perfectly captures the novel's essence: a series of vivid, finely drawn scenes colored by the unique environment of the Raj. It is a delightful and penetrating tale of a heroine fighting to retain her dignity, love, and identity in a foreign land where social acceptance is fiercely policed.
Table of Contents:
No Subscription? No Problem!
Free Sample
⭐ Quick Tip: About Free Samples
-
We offer a free sample to our visitors so that they can check if they like our books before they commit!