"Star of India" by Alice Perrin is a captivating novel set in the vibrant and mysterious subcontinent of India during the Raj era. The story revolves around Stella Carrington, a young and beautiful woman trapped in the restrictive confines of her Victorian household. Yearning for adventure and freedom, she finds solace in the prospect of marrying her godfather, Robert Crayfield, an officer in the Indian Civil Service. As Stella embarks on her journey to India, she is enchanted by the beauty and allure of the country. However, her initial excitement fades as she realizes that her husband is more interested in her as a means to satisfy his own desires rather than a partner in life. Her perspective shifts when she encounters Philip Flint, a young and handsome junior officer, who awakens her desires and forces her to confront her own needs and obligations. Alice Perrin skillfully portrays the complexities of Anglo-Indian life during this tumultuous period. With meticulous detail and empathy, Perrin delves into the intricacies of love, despair, jealousy, and doubt that plague her well-drawn characters. Through her compelling narrative, Perrin offers readers a glimpse into the social dynamics and cultural tensions of the time.
Alice Perrin, also known as Alice Robinson, was a British novelist renowned for her writings about the British in colonial India. Born on July 15, 1867, in Mussoorie, a hill station in Anglo-India, Perrin was the daughter of Bertha and John Innes Robinson, a Major General in the Bengal Cavalry. After being educated in England, she returned to India and married Charles Perrin, an engineer, in 1886. Feeling bored with the life of a British woman in India, Perrin turned to writing. Perrin's novels often delved into the lives of missionaries in India, although she expressed skepticism and lacked enthusiasm for their endeavors. In 1925, Perrin and her husband relocated to Switzerland, but tragedy struck when their only child passed away in London three years later. Alice Perrin died in Vaud in 1934, leaving behind a literary legacy that shed light on the complexities of colonial India and garnered praise for her storytelling prowess.
