Orig Letters India

First published in Calcutta in 1817, this delightful collection of correspondence from the zealously eccentric Mrs. Fay (17561816) was discovered by Forster, who arranged for publication in England in 1925 and provided biographical background and notes. Now reintroduced with verve and spunk by Kaye (Far Pavilions, Fay's spirited and consistently charming, lengthy letters describe her adventures and daily escapades and cover 40 years and five trips to Calcutta, the first of which took more than a year. (Fay was the wife of attorney and advocate Anthony Fay, a sadly and at times hilariously depicted imbecile of a husband.) Whether writing about her comic travels through France, whose capital city she characterizes as ""a sink of impurity,'' her exploits in Egypt en route to India, her never-ending misunderstandings with Hindu servants in Calcutta, Fay proves herself a lady of surpassing character, commanding a gift of the gab, which is as endearing as it is entertaining. This will enchant lovers of the Far East. (April)