Critically acclaimed author Indu Sundaresan returns to seventeenth-century India as two princesses struggle for supremacy of their father's kingdom.
Trapped in the shadow of the magnificent tomb their grief-stricken father is building for his beloved deceased wife, the emperor's daughters compete for everything: control over the imperial harem, their father's affection, and the future of their country. They are forbidden to marry and instead choose to back different brothers in the fight for ultimate power over the throne. But only one of the sisters will succeed.
With an enthusiasm for history and a flair for rich detail, Indu Sundaresan brings listeners deep into the complicated lives of Indian women of the time period and highlights the profound history of one of the most celebrated works of architecture in the world, the Taj Mahal.
"Shadow Princess is an exhilarating mixture of...emotion and intrigue, extravagance and architecture."-India Currents
From Indu Sundaresan, the internationally bestselling author of The Twentieth Wife, a novel based on the tumultuous history of a legendary 186-carat diamond and the men and women who possessed it.
As empires rose and fell and mighty kings jostled for power, its glittering radiance never dimmed. It is the "Mountain of Light"—the Kohinoor diamond—and its facets reflect a sweeping story of love, adventure, conquest, and betrayal. Its origins are the stuff of myth, but for centuries this spectacular gem changes hands from one ruler to another in India, Persia, and Afghanistan. In 1850, the ancient stone is sent halfway around the world where it will play a pivotal role in the intertwined destinies of a boy-king of India and a young queen of England—a queen who claims the Mountain of Light and India itself for her own burgeoning empire, the most brilliant jewels in her imperial crown.
The Mountain of Light is a magnificent story of loss and recovery, sweeping change and enduring truth, wrapped around the glowing heart of one of the world's most famous diamonds.
In 1942, a young U.S. Army captain arrives in western India carrying combat wounds and several secrets. His mission to find his lost brother is threatened when he falls in love with the daughter of a local politician and they face the tensions and prejudices of a country torn between imperialism and nationalism.
From internationally best-selling author Indu Sundaresan comes a heartrending tale of tragic love and clashing cultures in World War II India.In 1942, Sam Hawthorne, a young U.S. Army captain, arrives in a tiny princely state in western India. He carries combat wounds and several secrets, one of which is the real reason behind his visit: to find his brother Mike, an idealistic American soldier who disappeared after joining the local struggle for independence from the British. But Sam's mission is soon threatened when he falls in love with Mila, daughter of the local political agent. Betrothed to the local prince, Mila draws Sam into a doomed affair that places them both in the path of dynastic intrigue, racial prejudice, and the explosive circumstances of a country torn between imperialism and nationalism.
An enchanting historical epic of grand passion and adventure, this debut novel tells the captivating story of one of India's most controversial empresses, a woman whose brilliance and determination trumped myriad obstacles and whose love shaped the course of the Mughal Empire.
The love story of Emperor Jahangir and Mehrunnisa continues in this lush sequel to The Twentieth Wife. As Jahangir's final wife and only love, Mehrunnisa soon becomes the most powerful woman in the Mughal Empire, ruling from behind the veil and demonstrating great cunning to get what she wants.
