Staying On by Paul Scott

Staying On is a novel by Paul Scott which was published in 1977 and won the Booker Prize. Staying On focuses on Tusker and Lucy Smalley who were briefly mentioned in the latter two books of the Raj Quarted, ‘The Towers of Silence’ and ‘A Division of the Spils’ and are the latest British couple living in the small hill town of Pankot after Indian Independence.

We learn about life as an expat in Pankot and see the new life that is replacing the British Raj. We meet the Bloolabhoys, owners of Smith’s, the hotel where Tusker and his wife Lucy occupy an annex – or small bungalow. There are many interesting characters including Ibrahim and Joseph. Scott gives each character a voice so real that each personality is firmly etched in your mind. Both funny and deeply moving, Staying On is a unique engrossing portrait of the end of an empire and a forty year love affair.

There was plenty of discussion about the book which gets better and better as it progresses through the life of the two main characters.

Pam Owens