Something strange is happening in the heart of the British Empire.

Nineteenth-century Calcutta is abuzz with social reforms, especially with regard to womens’ rights and education. And in this time, Kadambini Ganguly dreams of going to university—and in the ultimate audacious hope—wants to become a doctor.

But for many people, the idea of girls studying is anathema. And a school full of unmarried girls and widows getting an education, in an environment where caste is disregarded and every student treated as an equal, leads to charges of immorality. And the battle to get the right to a college education is against overwhelming odds.

The fictionalised story of Kadambini, one of the first women graduates of the British Empire and the first woman to get a degree from an Indian medical college, is rivetingly told by Madhurima Vidyarthi, in a fascinating portrait of nineteenth century life, society and its arbitrary mores.