"Midnight's Children" is a novel by Salman Rushdie, published in 1981. It is a work of magical realism that tells the story of Saleem Sinai, a man born at the stroke of midnight on the day India gained its independence from British rule. Saleem is one of 1,001 children born at that exact moment, and he discovers that he and the other midnight's children have special powers.
As he grows up, Saleem becomes embroiled in the political and social turmoil of post-colonial India, and he uses his powers to try to shape the course of history. The novel follows Saleem's life as he navigates the complexities of family, identity, and nationhood, and it interweaves his personal narrative with the larger story of India's struggle for independence and its tumultuous early years as a new nation.
"Midnight's Children" is a sweeping epic that blends history, myth, and magical elements to tell a rich and memorable story. It has received widespread praise for its vivid prose, its complex and layered characters, and its ability to blend the personal and the political. It was awarded the Booker Prize and has been widely considered a modern classic of literature.