A feast of history, not to be missed

books:


	• The Feast of Roses: A Novel Indu Sundaresan Washington Square Press, 2004 - 416 pages average customer review:based on 32 reviews view larger image
	for more information click here

highly recommended

A feast of history, not to be missed

What do you do when you're an outspoken woman in love with a sexy ruler? Mehrunissa, eclipsed by her famous niece/daughter-in-law Arjumand, for whom the Taj Mahal was built, plots court intrigue, demolishes her female rivals, arranges marriages, and still finds time to have a loving relationship with her main man, Emperor Jahangir of the Mughal (not to be confused with Muggle) Empire, which allowed India to dominate the Middle and Far East in the Sixteenth and Seventeenth centuries.

Mehrunissa juggles shifting alliances in her family and Jahangir's that make the road map to peace in the Middle East look like a crayon drawing. One interesting aspect is that Mehrunissa doesn't capitalize on the much-vaunted "woman power" and "sisterhood bonding," as her modern sisters do. She views all women, even her own daughter Ladli, as pawns in her plans. (If you think this sounds bizarre, watch The Bachelor reruns.) When Mehrunissa is dying, she regrets not bonding with her soul sisters in Jahangir's harem and consolidating female power.

However complex, Mehrunissa is a bold, strong, daring character who holds our attention. Add the sweep and grandeur of this lyrically-written story, and this is a must-read for history buffs and would-be powerful consorts.

for more information click here

Good reading

Feast of Roses is a good sequal to Sunderasan's first book The 20th Wife. While I did not think much of the former, in this second book Sundarasan writing displays maturity and meticulous historical research. She weaves the intricate historical events with harem intrigue in a very able manner and manages to portray the granduer of the Mughal court. One gets a feel for the characters especially Nur Jahan who was both admired and despised..
Except for some parts that read too much like a history lesson, this is an interesing read.

for more information click here

Excellent

I really enjoyed this book as I did with "The Twentieth Wife". They were both page turners for me that words could never describe - I so wished there was more!

for more information click here

The soap opera continues...

The wonderful soap opera that was the TWENTIETH WIFE continues in THE FEAST OF ROSES. The drama was alittle less believable this time around, but the passion and intrigue was still there. I was alittle disappointed that I didn't like Mehrunnisa very much in this book; fame and wealth can definitely change a person. The fact that this book was based on actual history made it all the more fascinating and the author's notes at the end were a plus. As with the first book, the glossary of terms also came as a welcomed addition. The writing style is easy and fast. I definitely recommend!

for more information click here

a rich read

Sundaresan certainly has brought a interesting period of history back to life. As someone who has read The Twentieth Wife and The Feast of Roses, I'm obviously a fan of hers. Sometimes her writing can be a bit stiff, and her dialogue awkward, but I'm happy that she has introduced me to a new world.

Readers who like Sundaresan, and the era she's writing about, should look into Beneath a Marble Sky. I just finished this novel (which tells the story behind the Taj Mahal's creation), and couldn't have loved it any more.

I'm happy to be reading novels set in this period, as it's a fascinating era, and one that most people in the West know little about.

for more information click here

reviews: 1, 2, 3, 4, page 5, 6, 7

hot or not? What's your opinion? Write a review and share your thoughts!

recommendations

My Favorite Reads in Historical Romance and Historical Fiction
Women Who've Made History Immortalized in Historical Fiction
Serious Indian and Pakistani novels
Books I Couldn't Put Down!!!
Good Books

search for books
feast of roses, feast, novel, roses

Impressum / about us