The Passage East 1934
Two friends. One city on the brink. A past that refuses to stay buried.
When Damon Finnegan and Robert Fletcher—lifelong friends and rugby-mad adventurers—arrive in Calcutta, they expect heat, colour, and carefree escape. Their base is Burnham Cottage, a colonial mansion owned by Damon’s enigmatic Uncle Fred, where the echoes of empire linger in every shadowed room.
Then they meet Flora.
Beautiful, guarded, and Anglo-Indian, Flora draws them into a world far darker than the holiday they imagined. When a brutal murder shocks the city, and a burglary at the cottage exposes documents linked to colonial corruption, Damon and Robert find themselves entangled in a dangerous web of secrets and lies.
Flora’s sudden return—with a child she claims as her son—sets off a devastating chain of events, ending in a fatal confrontation and a choice that will mark the two men forever.
London, 1939. War is looming, and the past will not stay silent. A single newspaper article resurrects the Calcutta scandal, triggering a police investigation—and forcing Damon to confront the consequences of what he and Robert did all those years ago.
As bombs fall and the world unravels, Damon encounters Flora again in a London bomb shelter.
This time, there is no escape.
Romantic historical fiction at its best. It will stay with you long after you have read the last page.
Reviews
This is an enthralling tale about two English friends, Damon and Robert, who visit pre-independence India during the 1930s – at a time when Britain’s colonial influence is waning.
Their holiday plans in Calcutta are impaired after they meet an unconventional Anglo-Indian woman with a troubled past and Damon becomes fascinated by her.
The two men become entangled in an incident involving a death in the city and a burglary at their holiday cottage. Damon is by chance reunited with the woman during wartime London but their reunion takes a surprise turn.
The narrative is laced with mystery and intrigue, reflecting a bygone world where two peoples – the British and the native Indian population – strive to co-exist.
I found the novel difficult to put down. It is well-written, has some clever descriptive passages and also contains a good deal of humour. Highly recommended.
This book was a departure from my usual contemporary fiction, and I wasn’t sure how I would get on with a story set in 1930s India. I’m so glad I made an exception, however, as the storytelling is evocative and, at times, wonderfully cinematic. There are some beautiful descriptive passages, most notably for me the views from the train. I could see and hear the characters in my mind, and I was absolutely transported and engrossed. I read the book in one sitting, and I will definitely be seeking out this author’s other titles.