Popping in quickly to draw your attention to this cleverly reversed Oliver-Twist novel set in 1920s colonial India from author D.A. Swain.
Here are the book details for you:
Blurb: Set against the backdrop of 1920s colonial India are the mysteries that follow little Stephen Crow when he is smuggled from England, by his corrupt uncle Jeremy, into a wealthy Indian household. Why is he hastily renamed Tom Spicer? And why are his origins, an heir to a vast fortune, hidden from them?
Didi Guni, a widow in the native Indian compound, lovingly adopts Tom as her own. But the dangers that forced Tom's removal from England soon catch up with him here, far from his birthplace. A ruthless business magnate, who has already murdered Tom's parents, needs the orphan dead before he can seize his inheritance.
Tom Spicer: A Still Small Voice is an expansive novel which takes the Oliver Twist narrative and reverses it – skilfully transporting readers to a bygone era.
The premise sounds very intriguing, and the release of the book means a lot for the author's family personally, as DA Swain (real name Vijay Daswani) died very suddenly just before publication. In honour of his memory, and acknowledgement of how much the novel meant to him, Tom Spicer is being promoted by his family.
About the Author
DA Swain was born in India, lived in England from childhood, and taught English in the UK, Italy and France. He was also the translator for the Marseille Port Authority. Since 2004, he operated care homes for the elderly in northwest England, though his passion for writing never dimmed. His debut novel Fathers, Sons, Unholy Ghost was published in 1995. Tom Spicer, his second novel, is being published posthumously.
