A review by yaelshayne
River of Smoke by Amitav Ghosh

4.0

The River of Smoke is the river through Canton during the beginning of the Opium Wars. Canton is open to foreign trade and with this trade comes the illicit smuggling of Opium into China. This is the third book I have read by Amitav Ghosh and he doesn't disappoint. His forte is bringing you into a world that is so descriptive and complete that you become part of it. My one disappointment is that it needed a little bit of editing. I am not sure that the story that bookends the novel is really needed and at times, I kept wondering when he would be returning to that story. It wasn't really needed except to set up the story of three different ships and the impact that a typhoon has on them which sets the stage for the story.
Richly detailed and filled with wonderful characters, Ghosh gives us a story to help us understand the history.