Monsoon Summer

In 1947, Kit Smallwood and her mother have escaped bombed-out London for the fresh country air at their friend Daisy's estate. Kit served as a nurse during World War II and was only a few deliveries short of becoming a qualified midwife until tragedy drove her away. Now she has the opportunity to help Daisy in her efforts to aid a maternity home in India. At Daisy's estate, Kit meets Anto, a young Indian doctor, and they fall in love against the wishes of Kit's mother. After a whirlwind wedding, the couple arrives in a newly independent India where both their marriage and Kit's dreams will be severely tested. Gregson's (after East of the Sun) latest historical title examines the challenges faced by Indian midwives both from distrustful and superstitious women and angry men willing to resort to violence to stop them. However, the focus here is on Kit and her difficulties in adjusting to married life and dovetailing her own views with the reality of living in India.