On the stroke of midnight, August 15, 1947, India claimed independence—and Saleem Sinai drew his first breath. Born in that explosive hour, Saleem discovers his fate is entwined with his nation’s: his triumphs mirror its victories, his tragedies echo its sorrows. Even his body betrays its politics, collapsing when the country falters, thriving when it prospers.
But Saleem is not alone. One thousand other “midnight’s children” entered the world in that same enchanted hour, each bearing strange, magical gifts. Bound by telepathy, they form a secret congress of possibility, yet also a battleground for destiny.
A sweeping saga of history, myth, and imagination, Rushdie’s iconic masterpiece is both intimate and epic, tragic and comic, forever redefining what a novel can be.
