The Feast of Roses
By Indu Sundaresan
(Washington Square Press, Paperback, 9780743456418, 416pp.)
Publication Date: May 18, 2004
Other Editions of This Title: eBook, Audio Cassette (February 2007), Compact Disc (February 2007), MP3 CD (February 2007), Hardcover (May 20, 2003)
Categories: Historical - General, Romance - Historical
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The love story of Emperor Jahangir and Mehrunnisa, begun in the critically praised debut novel The Twentieth Wife, continues in Indu Sundaresan's lush second novel, The Feast of Roses. Here, Mehrunnisa comes into Jahangir's harem as his twentieth and last wife. This time Jahangir has married for love, and members of his court are worried that Mehrunnisa could exert control over their futures. Their concerns are well founded.
Mehrunnisa soon becomes the most powerful woman in the Mughal Empire in spite of a formidable rival in the imperial harem who has schemed and plotted against her from the start. She rules from behind the veil, securing her status by forming a junta of sorts with her father, brother, and stepson -- and risking it all, even her daughter, to get what she wants. But she never loses the love of the man who bestows this power upon her....
Indu Sundaresan was born in India and grew up on Air Force bases all over the country. Her father, a fighter pilot, was also a storyteller—managing to keep his audiences captive and rapt with his flair for drama and timing. He got this from his father, Indu's grandfather, whose visits were always eagerly awaited. Sundaresan's love of stories comes from both of them, from hearing their stories based on imagination and rich Hindu mythology, and from her father's writings.
After an undergraduate degree in economics from India, Sundaresan came to the U.S. for graduate school at the University of Delaware and has an MS in operations research and an MA in economics. But all too soon, the storytelling gene beckoned.
The Twentieth Wife, Sundaresan's first novel, won the 2003 Washington State Book Award. Her second novel, The Feast of Roses, is a sequel to the first and continues the story of Mehrunnisa, Empress Nur Jahan's life as the most powerful woman of the Mughal dynasty that ruled India.
BooklistWeaving another rich historical tapestry...Sundaresan colors the life of a fascinating woman whose female wiles inspired the Taj Mahal.
Publishers WeeklyImpressive....Readers who enjoyed the first volume will find similar pleasures tracking the fate of one of history's most intriguing women.
The Seattle TimesSundaresan [is] a bright addition to the new generation of women writers from India.
USA TodayThere is no question that Sundaresan is a gifted storyteller with an obvious passion for history.
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