LitPick Review
What do Mt. Everest and an Indian mathematician have in common? The book Deflected successfully tells the lost history of Radhanath Sikdar, the first man to accurately calculate Mt. Everest as the tallest point on Earth. Radhanath's life and achievement are not well-known in history and this is in part because of the tensions of his time between the British and Indian people. Accounts of the Indian Rebellion of 1857 are given the spotlight in this book with Radhanth as the main character caught in the middle of it. Though Radhanath had worked without conflict with many British scientists, the book seeks to show how the parallel of his deflected recognition and the British people showing a lack of respect for Indian culture and people leads to pain, suffering, and mutiny. Radhanath finds himself in conflict with his Indian people at times as well as he becomes conflicted by his growing feelings for an English woman named Sara Langley. This story is both a historical fiction as well as a romantic fiction.
Opinion:
It is clear that the authors of this book put in the adequate amount of historical research in order to successfully write a historical fiction that is interesting and educational for readers who do not know about Indian culture or history. A glossary of Indian terms was present at the end of the book and was helpful in order to get the full meaning of the language and cultural references that show up throughout the story. The romance in the book added another layer of emotions to the story, as it further brought out the conflict between the British and Indian people. I learned a lot about that time, the main character's life (Radhanth Sikdar), and about his contribution to science. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys learning about history and is interested in learning about other cultures.
