Loot by Tania James Knopf Publisher 304 pgs. 2023
What an extraordinary book this one is: a fascinating plot, with wonderful characters, excellent dialogue, and a chance to live temporarily in another era and another milieu. Loot is a historical novel in some ways, though that is not the only strength of its appeal. It is set in the final years of the 18th century and into the early years of the 19th, with a background of the British occupation of India and the ongoing rivalries between England and France.
The plot revolves around Abbas, a young and highly talented woodworker in the Indian village of Sriangapatna, Mysore. He is invited to the court of Tipu Sultan, the ruler of the area, and a genuine historical figure. He is required to be an assistant to Lucien Du Leze, a French clockmaker in the royal court, and the two of them are ordered to produce a mechanical tiger attacking an English soldier. Abbas is to do the woodcarving, and Du Leze will produce the sound system designed to deliver growls and groans from the automoton; it is meant to be as lifelike as possible, and a wonder to all who see it.
A battle ensues, in which the British slaughter the local army, and in the melee which follows the tiger is given to a British colonel as a reward; ultimately he dies and his wife inherits the carving. Abbas must somehow manage to get to Rouen, where Du Leze lives, and then to England, where the the colonel’s widow is keeping the tiger carving. His dream is to recover the automoton and repair it, and then display it to the public.
Along the way Abbas meets Jehanna and the two of them embark on a somewhat shady enterprise at Cloverpoint Castle, with an unexpected outcome. The plot includes a bit of romance, a lot of racism, some violence, and a great deal of history delivered in an easily consumable way. It is a delightful read, a book the reader is sorry to finish.