(Wikipedia entry here.) A forced marriage and a man who was haunted by a look set this book in motion. This story is about the intersection of a member of the French resistance and a lost oppurtunity. It's also about a couple of young lovers in Kashmir who crossed religious lines and were discovered.
The book opens with a young and very troubled woman in LA. Her father is a retired diplomat whose life is wrapping up. After an edited interview about the Indian/Pakistan dispute over the Kashmir valley, he is executed. The book then moves to the back stories, which are moving very artfully put together. A large part of the book details the troubles of Kashmir as the Indian general takes the 'destroy the village to save it' philosophy.
This is a very good book, though not Rushdie's best. Like many of his other works it details intertangled families and their tragic stories. The characters are beautifully displayed and it's hard not to sympathize with their plights. This book also takes a heavier hand in criticizing the Indian government than his earlier works.
In many ways, it is a plea for tolerance. Kashmir is an earthly paradise where Muslims and Hindus live together in harmony. When the partition came and the question of Kashmiri nationalism rose, there were calls for a more pure life from the valley's Muslims. The final scenes of the village are heartbreaking. Rushdie gives a window into the sub-continent that gives an uncommon view to us in the west.
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