Before I Bow - by Mona Tewari (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

The stunning sequel to bestseller Burn the Sea, Before I Bow is an anticolonial historical fantasy about one of India's fiercest queens that culminates in a battle for the heart--and future--of her kingdom.

Queen to a people. Mother to an heir. A reckoning to her enemies.

Five years have passed since Abbakka Chowta drove the monstrous Porcugi from the shores of her homeland, but she knows a strategic retreat when she sees one. Biding her time while raising her daughter in Ullal away from her husband's manipulations, she is resolved to keep her family and her homeland out of the Porcugi's grasp.

Negotiations with a neighboring kingdom soon reunite Abbakka with her husband, and even with the protection of her community of fierce women, Abbakka finds herself more vulnerable than ever. She now must balance strength, statecraft, and secrecy to protect them all from the Porcugi's rising tides . . . but when a long-lost friend reappears in the unlikeliest of places, the queen must decide whether the alliance can be trusted or her daughter's future will be plunged beneath the waves.

The stunning conclusion to Mona Tewari's historical fantasy of 1500s South India, Before I Bow is an unflinching exploration of allegiances of the heart, the blood, and the blade . . . and the sacrifices we make to uphold our fiercest beliefs.

About the Author

Mona Tewari has long been fascinated by the ways in which narratives of legends and histories shape views of the present. A graduate of Caltech and UCSF, Tewari practiced as a pediatric dentist for years before she turned to writing fiction. As the daughter of two immigrants from India, she didn't see herself represented in popular media growing up and became determined to show her daughters they belong in every world. Tewari lives with her husband, daughters, and dogs in the Berkshires. Burn the Sea is her first novel.