First published 1998
As India's independence dawns, three children are born at the stroke of midnight. Saleem Sinai, the story's narrator, recounts his family's epic journey through the country's turbulent first decades. Blessed - or cursed - with supernatural gifts, Saleem and his fellow "midnight's children" become unwitting players in India's political upheaval. From partition and war to the imposition of martial law, their lives intertwine with the nation's volatile destiny. Through it all, Saleem grapples with his own fragmented identity and the burdens of his uncanny powers.
Genres: fiction, literary-fiction, historical-fiction, 20th-century, 21st-century
Vibes: intimate, lyrical, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: chosen-one, epic-journey, unreliable-narrator
Setting: India
Period: 1947-
308 pages · Paperback · Vintage