Historical fiction book · Curated
The East Indian
Brinda Charry · historical fiction
A boy from India arrives in colonial Virginia—America’s earliest Asian immigrant story (SAH Prize 2025).
About this historical novel
The East Indian by Brinda Charry is historical fiction set around 1630s in the Early modern period with key settings including Virginia, colonial America, India. A boy from India arrives in colonial Virginia—America’s earliest Asian immigrant story (SAH Prize 2025).
On HisFic we tag it under 1. Literary historical fiction and 6. Adventure & epic so you can pair it with similar story types. Recurring themes include immigration, identity, and colonialism. It also appears on our prize-winner shelf—useful if you like critically recognized historical novels.
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Plot summary
A boy from India arrives in colonial Virginia—America’s earliest Asian immigrant story (SAH Prize 2025).
Awards
- ★ Society of American Historians Prize for Historical Fiction · 2025 (winner)
Biennial US prize (formerly James Fenimore Cooper Prize) for historical fiction on an American subject.
Subgenres
Eras
Browse this mix
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Regions & places
North America · Asia
Virginia · colonial America · India
Themes
- immigration
- identity
- colonialism
Tags
award-winner