This Time of Morning

This Time of Morning chronicles political and social life in 1950s Delhi after Indian independence. The narrative follows several characters navigating the corridors of power in India's capital city. Rakesh, a civil servant returning from abroad, serves as an observer of the shifting dynamics between bureaucrats, politicians, and socialites. Through his perspective and those of other characters, the inner workings of a newly independent nation's government come into focus. The story tracks the professional and personal relationships that develop among the political elite, diplomats, and civil servants. Their private struggles and public responsibilities intersect against the backdrop of a changing India. The novel examines themes of power, nationalism, and personal integrity in a nation finding its footing after colonial rule. Through its portrayal of both political machinery and human relationships, it presents a portrait of democracy's early days in India.

Limited reader reviews exist online for this book, making it difficult to assess broad reader sentiment. On Goodreads, the book holds a 3.83/5 rating based on just 6 ratings, with no written reviews. Some readers note Sahgal's portrayal of India's political class and bureaucracy in the post-independence period. A few readers highlight the author's insider perspective on Indian politics, given her family's political background. The minimal online discussion of the book means there's insufficient data to determine clear patterns in what readers liked or disliked. No Amazon reviews are currently available. Note: This response is limited due to the scarcity of publicly available reader reviews for "This Time of Morning". Most online mentions appear in academic or historical contexts rather than reader review platforms.

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🔹 Nayantara Sahgal was the niece of India's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and wrote extensively about the political climate of post-independence India through her novels. 🔹 "This Time of Morning" (1965) provides an insider's view of India's political corridors of power, drawing from Sahgal's unique position as a member of one of India's most prominent political families. 🔹 The novel depicts the transition period between colonial and independent India, capturing the complex social dynamics among bureaucrats, politicians, and foreign diplomats in New Delhi. 🔹 Sahgal returned her Sahitya Akademi Award (India's highest literary honor) in 2015 as a protest against growing intolerance in India, demonstrating the same political courage she portrayed in her characters. 🔹 The book was one of the first Indian English novels to explore the disillusionment that followed India's independence, contrasting the idealism of the freedom struggle with the realities of power politics.