The Wild Child

I greatly enjoyed most aspects of this book. The only thing that irritated me about this was the subtle anti-Indian sentiment I picked up on. Often when describing certain aspects of Indian culture the term barbaric was thrown around. India was referred to as a dangerous place not safe for a child, with little consideration that perhaps decades of British colonisation had made it so. I understand that the book is set in a time period when the characters may have had even worse feelings about India and Indians. However, Putney does not shy away from unconventional heroes and heroines who don't agree with the popular sentiments of their era, so it is not unimaginable that her characters would have had anti-racist and anti-colonialist views if she so desired. I also understand that the book was written about 20 years ago, and certain sentiments concerning the terms ‘barbaric and savage' have changed greatly, so I am inclined to be less harsh in my assessment. However, it was something that diminished my enjoyment of this book.