Loot

An epic historical novel of plundered treasure and lasting love

Tania James

$32.99

Paperback

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QTY:

English

Harvill
04 July 2023

Fiction & Literature; Modern & contemporary fiction (post c 1945); Historical fiction; Material culture

An epic historical heist novel of plundered treasure, savage empire, lasting love and a young man's dream to make his mark on the world. From an Indian American writer at the height of her powers.

'Loot held me spellbound from the first page...an expertly-plotted, deeply affecting novel ' Maggie O'Farrell

An epic tale of plundered treasure, savage empire, lasting love and a young man's dream to make his mark on the world.

Meet Abbas. Woodcarver, toy maker, dreamer. Abbas is seventeen when he is whisked away to Tipu Sultan's glorious palace in Mysore. Apprenticed to the clockmaker Monsieur Du Leze, he is ordered to create an ingenious musical tiger to delight Tipu's sons.

In the eccentric Du Leze, Abbas finds an unexpected friend who encourages his skill and hunger for learning, and through whom he also meets the unforgettable Jehanne, who has questions and ambitions of her own.

But when British soldiers attack and loot Mysore, Abbas's world is turned upside down and his prized tiger is shipped off to a country estate in England. In order to carve out his place in the world, he must follow.

A hero's quest, a love story, an exuberant heist novel that traces the bloody legacy of colonialism across the world, Loot is a dazzling, wildly inventive and irresistible feat of storytelling from a writer at the height of her powers.

'A cinematic novel of empire, colonialism and romance...

Through transporting prose, and with wit and charm, Loot asks who gets written out of history and why' Guardian

''Immersive and beautifully written...a clever and absorbing novel about empire and belonging' Sunday Times

'A thrilling, absorbing and immersive tale of artistry, adventure and romance' Claire Fuller

'A wild, dazzling eighteenth-century romp across continents with profound things to say about invention and self-reinvention, class and fate, and the deeply human hunger to create family.' Lauren Groff

'Elegantly crafted and beautifully written... exciting... Highly recommended' Mail on Sunday

By: Tania James
Imprint: Harvill
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 230mm, Width: 152mm, Spine: 30mm
Weight: 360g
ISBN: 9781787304161
ISBN 10: 1787304167
Pages: 304
Publication Date: 04 July 2023
Audience: General/trade , Professional and scholarly , College/higher education , ELT Advanced , Undergraduate
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Tania James's debut novel Atlas of Unknowns was a New York Times Editor's Choice and was shortlisted for the DSC Prize for South Asian literature. She has also written the short story collection Aerogrammes, and her stories have appeared in the New Yorker, Granta, Freeman's- The Future of New Writing, One Story and A Public Space. The Tusk That Did the Damage was shortlisted for the International Dylan Thomas Prize. From 2011 to 2012, Tania James was a Fulbright fellow to India living in New Delhi. She now lives in Washington DC.

Reviews for Loot: An epic historical novel of plundered treasure and lasting love

Addictively absorbing * New York Times Book Review * A novel of wonder and terror and beauty - I was completely captivated by it. * Kamila Shamsie * Loot held me spellbound from the first page. This is an expertly-plotted, deeply affecting novel about war, displacement, emigration, and an elusive mechanical tiger. * Maggie O’Farrell * I read Loot in a single sitting; it is a wild, dazzling eighteenth-century romp across continents with profound things to say about invention and self-reinvention, class and fate, and the deeply human hunger to create family as both bulwark against loneliness and constant source of light and warmth. * Lauren Groff * Loot is the most transporting and absorbing novel I've read in ages-a rich tapestry of an epic, thrilling at every turn. This isn't just brilliant writing: It's storytelling of the highest order. * Rebecca Makkai *