In this novel of adventure, intrigue and romance, The Road, snaking its way across the Indian frontier toward Afghanistan, will take on a life of its own, drawing three generations of Linforth men to their fates, sacrificing the lives and happiness of men and women, creating war and insurrection, and, by its own terrible logic, compelling its own construction by men, willing or unwilling, who are powerless to control events. Harshly critical of some of the exploitative and hypocritical aspects of British colonial policy in India, Mason's tale is driven by the rich depth and diversity of its characters as it explores themes of friendship, loyalty, love and duty against the backdrop of the demands, the unfairness, and the human cost as elements of "the price of empire.