The Twentieth Wife - by Indu Sundaresan (Paperback)

About the Book

Based on the life of an actual empress of the Mughal empire, the woman for whom the Taj Mahal was built, "The Twentieth Wife" blends historical reality with the rich imaginings of a fairy tale, providing a fascinating portrait of one woman's defiant life behind the veil.

Book Synopsis

An impressive fictional portrait of one of the most influential and controversial empresses in India's history from "a gifted storyteller with an obvious passion for history" (USA TODAY).

An enchanting historical epic of grand passion and adventure, this debut historical fiction novel tells the captivating story of a woman whose brilliance and determination trumped myriad obstacles, and whose love shaped the course of the Mughal Empire. Skillfully blending the textures of historical reality with the rich and sensual imaginings of a timeless fairy tale, The Twentieth Wife book sweeps us up in the bedazzling destiny of a woman--a legend in her own time--who was all but lost to history until now.

Review Quotes

Chicago Tribune Good old-fashioned historical fiction....Full of jeweled beauties and crumbling ruins, [The Twentieth Wife] satisfies every craving for the pomp and mystery of India's past.

The Seattle Times Rich and realistic....A delicious story.

Chitra Divakaruni Author of Mistress of Spices and Unknown Errors of Our Lives Indu Sundaresan has written a fascinating novel about a fascinating time, and has brought it alive with characters that are at once human and legendary, that move with grace and panache across the brilliant stage she has reconstructed for them.