The year is 1556 CE. Humayun has died, and his thirteen-year-old son and
heir, Akbar, must battle to save his throne, even as a drought devastates the
northern plains. Against this backdrop, an old man documents the story of his
family-his ancestors and himself-beginning a hundred years earlier, when a
teenager in Dilli discovers the true nature of his best friend.
As the sprawling family saga unfolds, empires rise and fall, dynasties come and
go, and generations pass, each with a rich cast of characters shaped by forces
beyond their control; by desire, love and betrayal.
Like Qasim, who, wracked by the guilt he inherited from his irresponsible
father, embarks on an all-consuming search for an elusive heirloom, while his
pragmatic wife, Aabida, holds the family together as breadwinner-using her
embroidery skills to set up a brocade workshop. Two generations later, young
Zubair finds himself torn between his family duty-the workshop established
by his grandmother-and his secret longing for a mysterious insurgent,
which will spell disaster for him and his family. Years later, his son, Nadeem,
will choose his passion for calligraphy over brocade, only enduring the family
business because of his love for Zarina, a talented naqshband-the artist who
makes the exquisite designs for the tapestry.
Spanning a century and a half, from the early 1400s to 1556, An Unholy Drought
weaves an intricate tale of varied characters-their joys and sorrows-in
Delhi, the phoenix city, as it transitions from the last days of the Sultanate to
the dawn of the Mughal Empire. Rich with human drama and period detail,
this sequel to The Garden of Heaven is the second book in the acclaimed Delhi
Quartet series, and an absolute page-turner.
