First published 1969
The year begins with celebration as Indian forces march into Goa, finally expelling the last colonial power from the subcontinent. But astrologers warn that 1962 marks a rare planetary conjunction, when all celestial bodies align to bring catastrophe. Their predictions prove accurate when Chinese armies pour across the Himalayan border, crushing Indian defenses and humiliating the young nation. Against this backdrop of military triumph turned to devastating defeat, families and communities grapple with how authority transfers between generations. The old guard that fought for independence must yield to younger voices, yet the transition proves as violent and unpredictable as the war itself. Wheeler examines how each generation seeks to eclipse its predecessors, burying the past to make room for its own vision of the future. The conjunction becomes both astronomical event and political metaphor, marking the moment when India's post-independence confidence shatters against the reality of regional power struggles and internal divisions.
Genres: historical-fiction, 20th-century, military-fiction, political-thriller
Vibes: suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, generational-conflict
Setting: Goa, Himalayan, India, China
Period: 1962
192 pages · Hardcover · Angus & Robertson
Content warnings: violence, war