About the Book
Sylvia published The Spell of the Flying Foxes, her first novel, in 2011 at the age of 83! She started to write the book in her 50's but with the pressures of managing a busy household she wasn't able to give it her full attention until her '70's. The entire book was originally written in pencil, then 'upgraded' via a typewriter and finally she treated herself to a new laptop for the finishing touches. Sylvia also made several delightful sketches of characters and scenes from the book which can be found on the Photos page.
Dhang
Alfred Augustus Tripe came to India in 1848 and set up several indigo 'factories' on the banks of the river Baghmati in the Champaran district of Bihar. These factories were really plantations, each with its villages of
tenants, labourers, processing yards, storage sheds and indigo
vats. With the invention of a synthetic dye in Germany, the indigo plantations had to give way to the cultivation of other crops.
Buy The Spell of the Flying Foxes
The Spell of the Flying Foxes is available at most major bookstores in India and is available online as well in paperback, Kindle and audio versions. Here are links to some of the sites featuring this title:
https://penguin.co.in/book/non-fiction/spell-flying-foxes/
https://www.amazon.com/Spell-Flying-Foxes-Sylvia-Dyer/dp/0143065343
https://www.flipkart.com/search?q=9780143065340
https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=ddCXAAAAQBAJ