The Year of My Indian Prince

The Year of My Indian Prince by Ella Thorp Ellis is an autobiographical piece of historical fiction, looking at the life of a tubercular.

It is 1945, and World War II is finally ending. Aprils father is finally coming home from the war, and there is so much joy and celebration in the world. April is sixteen, enjoying her high school years, leading the school swim team and dating the boys swim team captain, Mike.

The first sign of tuberculosis is when April does poorly in a race due to the lesions developing in her lungs. When April becomes sick, and visits the doctor, tuberculosis does not even crossed her mind. Even when she is diagnosed, and forced to stay in a tuberculosis sanitarium, it is hard for April to believe that she is really sick. How can she go from being a healthy athlete to suddenly being confined to bed rest?

Her roommate Nancie, is a charming young girl herself, who has been at the hospital for almost three years. Together, April and Nancie dream of the day that they will be able to walk in the sunshine once more, and be back in the arms of their beloved. But Mike does not come to visit April, he is too scared of catching tuberculosis himself. As the days pass, the biggest challenge in Aprils life is to fight off the boredom that overwhelms patients in the hospital.

The only time patients are allowed out of their beds is every Monday, when weekly flouroscoping is performed by the doctors, inspecting the patients lungs. This is the only time that April can see the other patients, whom she likens to inmates in a prison.

One day, her father brings news that April has an admirer in Prince Ravi, the son of an Indian maharajah and fellow tubercular patient. This is just the friendship that April needs to remain optimistic, and while Ravi hopes to someday marry April, April and her father consent to nothing more than a literary friendship. Ravi is so cultured, so cosmopolitan, and unlike any man April has ever known. Their frequent letters, and his occasional visits since he is allowed minimal exercise, brighten her otherwise monotonous days.

As the months drag on and Aprils condition is not improving, she must make some very important decisions, such as whether she will have a lobectomy, a dangerous surgery that will remove the tubercular part of her lung but leave her with a scar on her back. Wherever her future may lead, Aprils deep bond with Ravi is unforgettable, the kind of love that can only develop in the most unique situations.

Ella Thorp Ellis presents a very interesting story that is often untold. Tuberculosis is still a deadly disease, and Ellis shares her life experiences in a very moving and emotional novel that will make everyone take a look at their own life and appreciate their many blessings. April is such a strong character, never giving up, yet very pensive and reflective of the impact tuberculosis has had on her life. I high recommend this novel to everyone, especially those with a penchant for historical fiction.