Nilima Rao: A Shipwreck in Fiji
Sgt. Akal Singh #2
This series takes the reader on a journey to the complex society of Fiji in 1915. At that time the island was naturally populated by Fijians, but there also by many Indians who had been imported as indentured labor, some of whom chose to stay on the island after working through their service. Since the islands were a colony at the time, there’s the added ingredient of the British overlords, the mixture sometimes finding a hard time cohering.
Main character, Sergeant Akal Singh, is stationed in the capitol, Suva, but he’s come to Fiji from Hong Kong (originally from the Punjab) somewhat under a cloud. He’s still on a short leash as far as his commanding officer is concerned and given what he views as a simple babysitting job. He’s to escort two Australian ladies aiming to clean out the home of their brother and uncle, the newspaper editor in Suva on the island of Ovalau. He’s also to check out one Constable Kumar, an incredibly young, inexperienced, and slightly hysterical young man who claims to have seen Germans on the island, which, as world war was raging at the time, is something to be investigated. Accompanying Akal is his second in command, a native of Ovalau named Taviti.