India Dark

Kirsty Murray

• Publisher: Allen & Unwin
• Year: 2011
• eBook ISBN: 9781742692319

A vivid novel based on the fascinating true story of a group of young Australian performers who toured India at the turn of the century, before staging a strike and refusing to travel any further
 
Daisy opened her mouth and lies flew out. Her face so pink and white, her lips so plump and sweet, her lies so vile. I had to cover my ears.
I shut my eyes, wanting to block out the courtroom, to neither see nor hear the evil; but Tilly grabbed my arm and twisted the skin on my wrist in a Chinese burn.
'Poesy Swift,' she whispered, her breath hot against my neck, 'open your eyes and take that look off your face. We will never get home if you ruin everything.'

Madras 1910: Poesy and Tilly are caught in a scandal that will change their lives forever. Singing and dancing across 100 stages as members of a troupe of Australian child performers, they travel by steam train into the heart of India. But as one disaster follows another, money runs short and tempers fray. What must the girls do to protect themselves and how many lives will be ruined if they try to break free? This is a story of things kept secret, of conflicting wills and desires, set against the heat dust of a lost Empire.

Table of contents

• COVER PAGE
• TITLE PAGE
• COPYRIGHT PAGE
• DEDICATION
• CONTENTS
• 1. THE BETRAYAL
• 2. TRUST
• 3. FALLEN FLOWER
• 4. THE PIVOTING MOMENT
• 5. THE LILLIPUTIANS
• 6. A DREAM UNSPOKEN
• 7. HOLD THE RIGHT THOUGHT
• 8. REHEARSING THE FUTURE
• 9. SETTING SAIL FOR LILLIPUT
• 10. LOCKED DOORS
• 11. RUNAWAY GIRLS
• 12. ABRACADABRA
• 13. SISTERS
• 14. SPINNING ACROSS THE ARAFURA SEA
• 15. THE PUPPET SPIRIT
• 16. LOVING LIZZIE
• 17. HEADS AND TAILS
• 18. THE INQUISITION
• 19. CABIN FEVER
• 20. LITTLE PIGGIES
• 21. DANCING ON A WATERY GRAVE
• 22. PLAYING FAVOURITES
• 23. STAGEDOOR JOHNNIES
• 24. BOY MAGIC
• 25. TYGER, TYGER
• 26. WHIPPING GIRL
• 27. THE SHOW MUST GO ON
• 28. WHITE SLAVES
• 29. ACROSS THE BAY OF BENGAL
• 30. BREAD AND WATER
• 31. MESMERISM
• 32. A MOMENT IN TIME
• 33. SWADESHI
• 34. WAYS OF SEEING
• 35. THE STREETS OF CALCUTTA
• 36. UNDER THE SEATS
• 37. DEATH AND THE INVISIBLE RIVER
• 38. SWEET SIXTEEN
• 39. STRANGERS ON A TRAIN
• 40. NAKED TRUTHS
• 41. BETWEEN THE CRACKS
• 42. KISS MISS 1909
• 43. LA POUPÉE
• 44. COUNCIL OF WAR
• 45. SERENADING THE SAHIBS
• 46. SHARED SECRETS
• 47. THE GATHERING STORM
• 48. DARK MAGIC
• 49. PROMISES AND HALF-TRUTHS
• 50. STRIKE
• 51. RISING STARS
• 52. TAKING CHARGE
• 53. THE CAGED BIRD’S SONG
• 54. HAPPY EVER AFTER
• 55. SORCERER’S APPRENTICE
• 56. BENEATH THE BANYAN
• 57. THE TRIAL
• 58. THE WAY BACK
• 59. ESCAPING LILLIPUT
• EPILOGUE
• AUTHOR’S NOTE
• ANGLO-INDIAN WORDS
• ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS