The Far Pavilions by M. M. Kaye (1979, Paperback)

The Far Pavilions is, I believe, one of the greatest historical romance novels ever written. It is the story of the British rule in India in the 1800's and is written by M.M. Kaye who has first hand knowledge both of India and the times she writes about. The men in her family history were among the soldiers who served in the British Army so her writing carries real life experiences into a cleverly woven story of courage, loyalty and love. Further research into this time show that many of the characters portrayed actually existed and her research provides an incredible view of this turbulent era in Britian and India's history.