Born at the stroke of midnight at the exact moment of India\047s independence, Saleem Sinai is a special child. However, this coincidence of birth has consequences he is not prepared for: telepathic powers connect him wiyh 1000 other "midnight\047s children" all of whom are endowed with unusual gifts. Inextricably linked to his nation, Saleem\047s story is a whirlwind of disasters and triumphs that mirrors the course of modern India at its most impossible and glorious.