Midnight’s Children Book Summary

Summary of the Midnight’s Children

A Brief Overview:

• The Midnight’s Children follows the journey of Saleem Sinai, who recounts his life story and moment of birth on August 15, 1947, at precisely midnight - the day India gained independence from British rule.

The Story of Saleem Starts 32 Years Before His Birth

In 1915, Saleem's grandfather – a doctor named Aadam Aziz encounters his future wife for the first time on the same day that World War I concludes, in 1918. After marriage, they moved to Agra where they have three daughters – Alia, Mumtaz, and Emerald and two sons – Mustapha and Hanif. 

Aadam is a follower of Mian Abdullah, whose anti-Partition stance led to his assassination. Following Abdullah's death, Aadam hides his terrified helper – Nadir Khan in the basement.

In the meantime, Nadir Khan falls in love with Mumtaz. They marry secretly. However, after two years of marriage, Aadam discovers that his daughter is still a virgin, as Nadir and Mumtaz have not consummated their marriage.

Mumtaz's sister, Emerald, informs her fiancé Major Zulfikar—a Pakistani army officer about Nadir Khan's location. This forces him to flee for his life. 

Re-marriage of Mumtaz

On the other hand, Mumtaz, abandoned by her husband, agrees to marry Ahmed Sinai – a young merchant who had previously courted her sister Alia.

After being married, Mumtaz renames herself Amina and relocates to Delhi. Then, further relocate to Bombay after their workshop burns down. 

They purchase a house from William Methwold, a guy who entertains families on Methwold's Estate, who claims that his wife – Vanita is also expecting a child soon. 

Birth of Saleem Sinai and the Swap

Amina and Vanita both go into labour and give birth to sons at midnight. Mary Pereira, a midwife at the nursing home, switches the nametags of the two newborns. 

Discovery of Telepathic Abilities

Saleem eventually learns to hear the thoughts of other children born during the first hour of independence. The 1,001-midnight children—a number decreased to 581 by their tenth birthday—all have magical abilities. 

The Truth Surfaces  

Post losing a piece of his finger in an accident, Saleem is transported to the hospital. It is there, that his parents discover that he is not their real son due to the blood type. Soon, Saleem is transferred to live with his Uncle Hanif and Aunt Pia for a bit. 

Meanwhile, Mary admits she switched Saleem and Shiva at birth. Amina takes Saleem and the Brass Monkey to Pakistan, where she lives with Emerald, after Ahmed—now an alcoholic—becomes aggressive with her. 

Return to Bombay

Four years down the line, the children and Amina return to Bombay. During the Indo-China war, Saleem gets surgery to clear his chronically blocked nose. As a result, he loses his telepathic abilities but develops a keen sense of smell.

Partition and Political Turmoil 

Following India's military defeat to China, Saleem's whole family relocates to Pakistan. His entire family except Jamila and himself, died in a single day during the India-Pakistan conflict. Even Saleem is hit in the head during the air raids, which completely erases his memories.

Saleem, free of his memory, gets drafted into military service. His exceptional sense of smell makes him a great tracker. 

He escapes into the jungle of the Sundarbans, where he regains all of his memories except his name and meets Parvati-the-witch, one of Midnight's children. He starts to live with her in the magician's ghetto, with Picture Singh, a snake charmer.

Parvati, disappointed with Saleem, engages in an affair with Shiva, now a well-known battle hero. Quickly, things between Parvati and Shiva turn sour. She returns to the magicians' ghetto – pregnant and unmarried. Upon the ghetto people’s rejection, Saleem promises to marry her. 

Meanwhile, Indira Gandhi – the Prime Minister of India, launches a sterilisation drive. Shortly after Parvati's son is born, the government destroys the magician's ghetto. 

Shiva kills Parvati while sending Saleem to a forced sterilisation camp. There, Saleem reveals the identities of the other midnight children. The midnight children are picked up to eliminate any powers that might threaten the prime minister. Later on, when Indira Gandhi loses her first election, the children of midnight, including Saleem, are set free. 

Life in Post-Independence Bombay

Saleem goes in pursuit of Parvati's kid, Aadam, who is living with Picture Singh. The three travel to Bombay so that Picture Singh can face the world's finest snake charmer. 

While in Bombay, Saleem eats chutney that tastes just like the one his ayah – Mary, used to cook. He discovers the chutney factory that Mary now owns, while Padma protects the gate. This meeting brings Saleem's story to a full circle. Saleem's historical record is finally complete, and he plans to marry Padma, his devoted girlfriend and listener, on his thirty-first birthday.