Meera’s future has been planned for her for as long as she can remember. As a child, her parents married her to a boy from a neighboring village. On the eve of her thirteenth birthday, she will leave her family to live with her husband. But that night, Indian soldiers mutiny against their
British commanders and destroy the ammunition depot, burning down parts of Delhi. Riots follow, and Meera’s husband is killed. Then Meera’s father insists that she follow the dictates of their fringe religious sect: she must end her life by throwing herself on her husband’s funeral pyre.
Risking everything, Meera runs away, escaping into the chaos of the rebellion. But her newfound freedom is short-lived, as she is forced to become a servant in the house of a British East India Company captain. Through her work, she gains confidence, new friends, new skills—and sometimes
her life even feels peaceful.
But one day, Meera stumbles upon the captain’s secret stock of ammunition, destined to be used by the British to continue controlling India’s citizens.
Will Meera do her part to take down the British colonists and alert the rebellion of the stockpile? Or will she stay safe and let others make decisions for her? It comes down to this: how much fire must a girl face to finally write her own destiny?
