Wow, am I really the first to put up this classic? Salman Rushdie and Deepa Mehta, two names famous in Indian culture, bring us this lavish feast. Midnight refers to the moment of India's independence, also known as partition - Mehta deals with this in Earth (1998). Midnight's Children is set in a later age, as two people born at "midnight" struggle to find their place in a changing world. I don't want to spoil your enjoyment, so I won't say any more.