"Midnight's Children" is a critically acclaimed novel by Salman Rushdie, published in 1981. It won the Booker Prize that year and later secured the Booker of Bookers, being recognized as the best novel to have won the Booker Prize in its first 25 years. The narrative follows Saleem Sinai, born at the stroke of midnight on August 15, 1947, the exact moment when India gained independence from British rule. Saleem's life is magically intertwined with the fate of the nation, and he discovers that all children born in India in that first hour of independence possess unique powers.

The novel blends historical fact with magical realism and is known for its intricate narrative style and deep philosophical insights. Through the lens of Saleem's life and the lives of his "midnight's children," Rushdie explores the tumultuous events of Indian history and the complex forces shaping the new nation.