Midnight's Children

Saleem Sinai arrives at the same moment as India's independence, and this timing sets him apart. He can communicate by mind with one thousand other children born at that time, each possessing strange abilities. Saleem's personal story stays bound to his country, so his setbacks and successes reflect a changing India. The novel has many layers, showing the Indian sub-continent's tangled realities through numerous characters, and it shifts among funny, sad and fantastical modes. It moves between comedy, tragedy and fantasy.

Why You Should Read?

• Discover how Saleem Sinai can reach one thousand other midnight's children with his mind.
• Follow Saleem Sinai as his private disasters and triumphs echo the course of modern India.
• Explore a many-layered story that shows the Indian sub-continent's complexities through many characters' minds.
• Experience a tale that turns from comic to tragic to fantastic as it unfolds.

About the Author

Salman Rushdie is an Indian-born writer with British and American citizenship, born on 19 June 1947. He writes novels, often blending magical realism with historical fiction. His fiction frequently examines links, breaks and movements between Eastern and Western civilizations. His books usually take place on the Indian subcontinent, center on an Indian main character, or show Indian family ties. After his fourth novel, The Satanic Verses, he faced death threats and attempts on his life. A fatwa called for his death, and the book was banned in 20 countries.