Jewel of the East

British India, 1774. Lady Emily Augusta Fitzroy is a beautiful but melancholy young noblewoman, packed off to India by her father in order to marry Warren Hastings, the tyrannical Governor of Bengal. Kidnapped by pirates, her fate suddenly rests in the hands of two men: Colonel Charles Edward Fuller, an ambitious, ruthless covert agent sent to rescue her, and the Colonel's handsome native lieutenant, Mr. Neelan, whose loyalty to Fuller is wearing thin. Neelan and Lady Emily will, against the odds, become lovers, who must struggle to free themselves from Colonel Fuller, and from the imperialist system that he represents, if their budding romance is to succeed... Jewel of the East is a moving, masterful work of historical fiction, full of vivid characters, intense action, exotic settings, heartwarming romance, and wry humor. It will captivate you from Page One!

British India, 1774. Lady Emily Augusta Fitzroy is a beautiful but melancholy young noblewoman, packed off to India by her father in order to marry Warren Hastings, the tyrannical Governor of Bengal. Even before reaching Calcutta, however, Lady Emily becomes a pawn in the political intrigues that swirl around the Governor. She is kidnapped by pirates, egged on by Hastings' chief rival. Imprisoned at a pirate base on the lawless island of Ceylon, her fate now rests in the hands of two men: Colonel Charles Edward Fuller, an ambitious, ruthless covert agent and Lady Emily's would-be rescuer, and the Colonel's handsome native lieutenant, Mr. Neelan, whose loyalty to Fuller is wearing thin after years of condescending treatment. Neelan and Lady Emily will, against the odds, become lovers, who must struggle to free themselves from Colonel Fuller, and from the imperialist system that he represents, if their budding romance is to have any chance of success... Jewel of the East is a moving, masterful work of historical fiction, full of vivid characters, intense action, exotic settings, heartwarming romance, and wry humor. It will captivate you from Page One!

Dr. Nicholas L. Waddy works as an Associate Professor of History at SUNY Alfred in Alfred, New York. For more than ten years he has taught courses in European and World history. He is particularly interested in issues related to British imperialism and race relations in the colonial era. Although Jewel of the East is his first novel, he is the author of numerous articles and one book, and he is currently writing a Western Civilization textbook. His writing style, which has been compared to that of Dickens, features a passion for psychologically-revealing character development; steady infusions of fast-paced action; a fluid, narrative approach to storytelling; a knack for including accurate historical and cultural details; a sensitivity to the moral complexities faced by people in extreme situations; and a determination to draw positive lessons even from tragic circumstances. Waddy lives in Geneseo, New York.