A Flight of Pigeons

by Ruskin Bond

First published 1978

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4.3(245)

Shahjahanpur, 1857. When sepoys attack the local church and kill her father, young Ruth Labadoor escapes with her mother Mariam and other relatives, taking shelter with their Hindu friend Lala Ramjimal. Their refuge is temporary: Pathan rebel Javed Khan discovers the family and carries Ruth and Mariam to his household, where their survival depends on negotiating the loyalties and tensions of a city transformed by rebellion.

Javed’s determination to marry Ruth turns captivity into an intimate struggle played out against the wider Indian Rebellion. As rebel fortunes rise and fall and news arrives from Delhi and Bareilly, Bond keeps the focus on civilians caught between communities, armies and personal obligations. Drawn from recorded experiences associated with the Labadoor family, the novella blends historical upheaval with a restrained story of fear, protection and conflicted affection.