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"The Hungry Tide" is a captivating novel by Amitav Ghosh, the acclaimed author of "The Glass Palace." Set in Calcutta and the vast archipelago of islands in the Bay of Bengal, the book delves into an exotic and rich saga.

According to Indian mythology, the river Ganges descended from the heavens with such force that it would have destroyed the Earth if not for the intervention of the god Shiva, who captured it in his dreadlocks. As the Ganges approaches the Bay of Bengal, it releases itself and transforms into countless wandering strands. This phenomenon gives rise to the Sundarbans, an expansive mangrove forest and half-drowned land where the waters of the Himalayas merge with the incoming tides of the sea.

The Sundarbans, with its tides reaching more than 100 miles inland, experiences daily transformations as vast stretches of forest submerge and resurface. While dense and captivating, the mangrove forests are almost as barren as a desert from a human perspective. The region is home to a vengeful beauty, teeming with crocodiles, snakes, sharks, and man-eating tigers. It is a place where humans are more likely to be prey than predators.

Within this challenging terrain, a wealthy and eccentric Scotsman named Daniel Hamilton attempts to establish a utopian society, uniting people of all races and religions and conquering the might of the Sundarbans. In January 2001, a small ship arrives to conduct an ecological survey of this lesser-known environment, and the scientists aboard embark on a journey to trace the descendants of Hamilton's society.

"The Hungry Tide" offers a mesmerizing exploration of the Sundarbans, delving into its untamed beauty, ecological marvels, and the complex interplay between humanity and nature. Through Amitav Ghosh's masterful storytelling, readers are transported into this captivating world, where the forces of the environment and human aspirations collide.