Description
Peeling back the layers of myth and innuendo surrounding erstwhile royalty in India, the stories in Blue Blood explore the lives of individuals who, bereft of power and wealth, must now live as commoners, grappling with the banalities of modern life. The title story, narrated by an elderly tour guide, unravels the truth behind the tragic fate of Anne Beckford, a European woman who married an Indian maharaja for love. In ‘The Birthday’, a disinherited gay prince risks disapproval when he returns to his ancestral home for the centennial celebrations of his great-grandfather, a war hero ravaged by Alzheimer’s disease. ‘The Last King of Portugal’, set on the island of Diu, describes the mysterious death of Eduardo Braganza, an Indian-born descendant of the Portuguese royal family. And ‘The Search’ follows a young woman from Toronto as she embarks on an international quest to find a family heirloom, only to discover a long-kept secret. With intricate plots and nuanced characters, these eight tales skillfully capture the personal triumphs and tragedies of former royals as they navigate the space between past glory and the reality of the present.
About the Author
Uttara Chauhan grew up in Saskatchewan, Canada and was educated in Canada and India. Her first novel, A Model House, was published in 2003. Her second book, Blue Blood, was long-listed for the 2011 Frank O’Connor International Short Story Award. The Persistence of Memory is her third book. She lives in Ottawa.
