Book Recommendation: The Hungry Tide

The Hungry Tide is the work of a powerful novelist, Amitav Ghosh. It is a novel of adventure and romance set in the exotic Sundarbans--treacherous islands in the Bay of Bengal. It’s similar in style and tone to Ghosh’s overlooked masterpiece, The Glass Palace. But despite the similarities, its smaller scope and more limited range of characters makes it feel somewhat more accessible than the earlier book. Ghosh has managed to turn The Hungry Tide into a page-turner -- beautifully controlled and plotted -- while sacrificing none his historical sweep. Please don't miss this. (The book is featured in our Notable Books section.)