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Title:
The Twentieth Wife: A Novel
Type: Book
Author(s): Indu Sundaresan
Publisher: Atria
Pages: 384
Binding: Hardcover
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Other reviews |
| Product Description: |
An enchanting seventeenth-century epic of grand passion and adventure, this debut novel tells the captivating story of one of India's most legendary and controversial empresses -- a woman whose brilliance and determination trumped myriad obstacles, and whose love shaped the course of the Mughal empire. She came into the world in the year 1577, to the howling accompaniment of a ferocious winter storm. As the daughter of starving refugees fleeing violent persecution in Persia, her fateful birth in a roadside tent sparked a miraculous reversal of family fortune, culminating in her father's introduction to the court of Emperor Akbar. She is called Mehrunnisa, the Sun of Women. This is her story. Growing up on the fringes of Emperor Akbar's opulent palace grounds, Mehrunnisa blossoms into a sapphire-eyed child blessed with a precocious intelligence, luminous beauty, and a powerful ambition far surpassing the bounds of her family's station. Mehrunnisa first encounters young Prince Salim on his wedding day. In that instant, even as a royal gala swirls around her in celebration of the future emperor's first marriage, Mehrunnisa foresees the path of her own destiny. One day, she decides with uncompromising surety, she too will become Salim's wife. She is all of eight years old -- and wholly unaware of the great price she and her family will pay for this dream. Skillfully blending the textures of historical reality with the rich and sensuous imaginings of a timeless fairy tale, The Twentieth Wife sweeps readers up in the emotional pageant of Salim and Mehrunnisa's embattled love. First-time novelist Indu Sundaresan charts her heroine's enthralling journey across the years, from an ill-fated first marriage through motherhood and into a dangerous maze of power struggles and political machinations. Through it all, Mehrunnisa and Salim long with fiery intensity for the true, redemptive love they've never known -- and their mutual quest ultimately takes them, and the vast empire that hangs in the balance, to places they never dreamed possible. Shot through with wonder and suspense, The Twentieth Wife is at once a fascinating portrait of one woman's convention-defying life behind the veil and a transporting saga of the astonishing potency of love. |
| Amazon.com Review: |
In The Twentieth Wife, first-time novelist Indu Sundaresan introduces readers to life inside a bejeweled, dazzling birdcage--the world of the Mughal Court's zenana, or imperial harem. Her heroine exercises power in the only way available to a woman in 17th-century India: from behind the veil. At the age of 8, Mehrunissa (the name means "Sun of Women") has already settled on her life's goal. After just one glimpse of his face, she wants to marry the Crown Prince Salim. And marry him she does, albeit some 26 years later, after overcoming the opposition of her family, an ill-starred early marriage, numerous miscarriages, and the scheming of other wives. The story's gothic trappings have a basis in fact. As Sundaresan writes in her afterword, the historical Mehrunissa exercised far more power than was usually allotted to an empress, issuing coins in her own name, giving orders, trading, owning property, and patronizing the arts. (Curiously, the book ends just as Mehrunissa is ascending to the throne as empress, dwelling on her years of powerlessness and struggle rather than those of her enormous political influence.) Although the empress was fabled in her time, we know next to nothing about the woman herself. Unfortunately, Sundaresan does little to flesh out this intriguing figure. Despite the vivid historical detail, the reader remains more aware of the author's presence--and her own contemporary take on women's issues--than of her characters' inner lives. --Mary Park |
| by syellum: |
Sailesh's review
i enjoyed the book. It gave me a glimpse a taste for life of the Moghules, palace intrigue and the politics! Anyway, it proves taht it is good to be the King (emperor)! |
| by emailchandralyn: |
Colorful taste of an Indian Empire
Like other reviewers, I bought this book a few years ago, read the first chapter and shelved it. When pulling out old books to pass along to friends, I decided to pick it up again.
Indu Sundaresan gives a colorful narrative to a fictional story based on historical fact. Mehrunissa is an archetype of the women of 17th century Muslim India. When reading this book, I was fully captivated and felt that I was walking in the bazaars with this woman, behind a veil. Sundaresan's writing style draws clarity to a forgotten time. I felt I was given the opportunity to not only travel to India, but 17th century India through this descriptive, colorful, weaving book.
After I finished The Twentieth Wife, I looked up the Taj Mahal to familiarize myself with the rest of the Ghias Beg family and the royal family a few years after this novel ends.
There are only three critiques that I have of this book. One, it would be brilliant to add a map of Mughal India. I printed one out for myself, so I could follow the travels of "Nisa" and Prince Salim and used it as a bookmark. Secondly, be forewarned that this book details the life of a lesser courtier's family and a woman before she becomes the Emperor's Wife. The journey and the novel finish on her wedding day, so you do not read about her life as the Empress. I have to be honest, I would have liked to continue reading and if it included 100-200 more pages on the rest of her life, I would have been pleased. And lastly, the book can grow tedious at times because there are so many obstacles that are thrown in front of these would-be lovers at a consistent pace in the book. I could have done without some of them, and had more on the back end of Nisa's life after marriage. But, like so many other romance novelists of our time, this book finished with the couple finally getting together, and does not go in to the "Happily Ever After" details.
All in all, a wonderfully fulfilling read where you can taste, smell, feel, hear and see through the wonderful strength of writing this talented novelist possesses.
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| by anonymous customer: |
Looking forward to the next one
The only thing stopping me from giving this 5 stars is the fact that were so many characters with similiar names that I almost had to make a list to figure out who was who sometimes. Terrific mixture of fiction and actual historical data. I learned quite a bit about the Indian empire and history of its emperors. Nisa fascinated me and I thought her a strong woman for the times. After all, it cannot be easy to attract the Emperor so much for so long when he has 300 women at his disposal. Kudos to her for leading the times in change for women. This book portrays her as a woman not completely satisfied hiding behind the veil and I am anxious to read the next book to find out what all she accomplished. I am sure it was much. I like the fact that there is a sequel because this is a book that you wish would not end. To be more technical, this novel covers her childhood, her parents and family ties, her puppy love for a prince, her trying first marriage, and finally, her ascendance to the throne. It stops there, leaving the reader wanting more. |
| by a1luciano: |
Good Details, Meandering Story
Mehrunnisa knew at the age of eight that she wanted to marry the prince of India. Her father was a minor player in the Indian court, and Mehrunnisa had no reason to expect that she would ever come to the attention of Prince Salim. But the dream remained, nurtured through circumstances and years that took Mehrunnisa far away from her prince as well as her own family.
Parts of this story were fascinating. I loved reading about the politics of India and the social customs that dictated marriage policy. I felt as though I had a more complete picture of the complexity of an Indian royal household after reading this story. Mehrunnisa was a compelling character, a strong woman in a time and place when strong women were not encouraged. I liked that she was able to accept her lot in life while still remaining true to herself and continuing to nurture her dreams.
However, the author of this story tipped her hand in the title of the book. I knew that Mehrunnisa was going to marry the prince. I also knew that it was going to be later in her life, after he'd already married nineteen other women. I was impatient throughout the story, waiting to get to the point when Mehrunnisa would finally become the wife of the prince she'd pined after for so long. The meandering narrative of the story was frustrating, frequently bringing the couple almost together and then throwing up a roadblock that forced them apart again. I was also disappointed not to see what life as an Empress would be like for Mehrunnisa; I had been looking forward to seeing if her vision of her life as trusted friend and adviser would come true. |
| by papakumar: |
From Persia with Love
A classic fictional account of Nur Jahan, the famous Mogul Queen, one of the few powerful women to grace Indian history. One must admire Ms. Sundaresan's imagination in compiling this fascinating biography of an independent and brilliant 16th century personality, who had captivated an emperor. Historians do agree that she was the brain behind Jahangir's reign, the fourth mogul emperor.
I have no problem agreeing with every sentence, every incident Ms. Sudaresan portrays in this "page turner".
This reminded me of historical fiction of another famous personality, Cleopatra, brilliantly portrayed by Colleen McCullough in October Horse, a fantastic account of the Egyptian queen and her affairs with Julius Ceasor and Mark Anthony. Cleopatra unlike Nur Jahan was on the losing side.
Bravo!
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