New Delhi, June 14 -- In these perilous times of climate change, the monsoon is synonymous with suffering. Every year, the advent of the annual rains is preceded by forecasts from the India Meteorological Department, and they are one of two kinds. The first type of forecast sighs with relief, predicting normal or above-normal rains. The second is grim, tinged with doom, the unwilling bearer of the bad news that this year the rains will be below normal. As, by the way, is the case with 2026.

Stephen Alter's slim book, The Fragrance of Rain: A Brief History of the Monsoon, is a quiet reminder of why the monsoon plays such a vital role in the life rhythm of the Indian subcontinent. Alter-a lifelong native of Mussoorie-has certainly written ...