Wiltshire Author's Debut Novel Inspired by Grandmother's Journey to India
Wiltshire-based author Emma Charlton has released her debut novel, The Colour of Dust and Sunlight, a work deeply inspired by the true story of her grandmother's journey from Britain to India in the late 1930s. Set against the backdrop of World War II and the final years of the British Empire, the novel began as a personal exploration of family history but quickly evolved into a broader narrative.
Uncovering Hidden Family Stories
After receiving a DNA and ancestry membership as a gift from her step-daughter, Emma uncovered details about her grandmother, Eluned Jones, that had never been fully shared. Eluned, a qualified nurse and midwife from Cardiff, made the bold decision to travel alone for five weeks by ship to India to join her fiancé.
"I realised I didn't really know my grandmother's story fully," said Emma. "She travelled alone to India before the war, at a time when that was no small undertaking. She built a life there during a period of extraordinary upheaval, yet she rarely spoke about it. I wanted to understand the woman behind the photographs."
A Tale of Love and Resilience in Turbulent Times
The novel is set across India during the turbulence of World War II and the political unrest that would ultimately lead to Partition. It explores themes of love, resilience, and the quiet courage of people living through global change. While researching, Emma made a surprising discovery about her grandfather.
"My grandparents were humble people," she explains. "But humble doesn't mean ordinary. My grandfather immersed himself completely in Indian life. He spoke Hindi, Urdu, Bengali and even some Persian - something I had no idea about until I found press clippings about him during my research. That level of cultural integration wasn't typical. It was remarkable."
The novel weaves together personal heartbreak, cultural displacement, and the realities of life in Calcutta and beyond during wartime, an aspect of history many British readers are less familiar with.
Exploring India's War Experience
"I hadn't truly considered how the war impacted India until I began researching," Emma said. "We're often taught the European perspective, but Calcutta was bombed, supply chains collapsed and communities were living with fear and uncertainty. The scale of change was enormous."
Emma, who works as a marketing director in Wiltshire, initially wrote the novel for her mother and family, never expecting it to resonate more widely.
"It was always meant to be a gentle, accessible story," she said. "I didn't want to over-dramatise their lives. But when you look back, their decisions were brave, bold and far from ordinary. I wanted to honour that - their humility, their adaptability and their courage."
Reader Reception and Universal Themes
Readers have described the book as "Beautifully written, loving, gentle and touching..." and "lyrically written and informative." Beyond being a historical novel, The Colour of Dust and Sunlight also delves into identity, belonging, and finding strength when the life you planned begins to unravel.
"There's something very universal about stepping into the unknown," Emma adds. "My grandmother crossed the world believing she knew what her future would look like. It didn't unfold as she expected. That's something many of us can relate to."
The Colour of Dust and Sunlight is currently available in paperback, hardback, and Kindle formats via Amazon.
