MY FAVOURITE AUTHOR....

i discovered this author

INDU SUNDARESAN

www.indusundaresan.com

on my last trip.

i was at CROSSWORD and looking for a novel to read.

i bought the first of a trilogy.

it was one of those stories, that gripped, intrigued and opened indian history to me,

that i could not put it down.

trilogy.

1. the 20th wife

2. the feast of roses

3. shadow princess

other novels.

1. the splendor of silence

2. in the convent of little flowers

3. the mountain of light.

for readers in TASMANIA

i believe that the TASMANIAN STATE LIBRARY 

has some of these novels.

otherwise i bought a few from

www.bookdepository.uk

the table runner, that these books are resting on, is woven  using 

HIBISCUS FIBRE.

the TRILOGY

these metal coasters, represent the mughal jali screens

MEHRUNNISA - the sun of women - one of india's most legendary and controversial empresses...

a woman who overcame insurmountable obstacles through sheer brilliance and determination...

whose love shaped the course of the MUGHAL EMPIRE.

SHE IS THE TWENTIETH WIFE.

in this lush and romantic sequel to THE TWENTIETH WIFE, MEHRUNNISA, the first woman JAHANGIR marries for love, is now EMPRESS NUR JAHAN.

as a mark of his devotion he transfers his powers of sovereignty to her.

but she has a formidable rival in the imperial harem, EMPRESS JAGAT GOSINI, 

who has plotted against her from the moment she entered the emperor's life.

beyond the harem walls, she battles powerful ministers who won't allow a mere woman to have a say in the outside world.

the MUGHAL empire is crumbling.

with the death of his beloved QUEEN MUMTAZ, EMPEROR SHAH JAHAN

slowly loses interest in everything, while  his sons conspire and scheme to gain control of the empire.

PRINCESS JAHANARA is only 17 when the weight of the imperial zenna is thrust upon her.

SHAH JAHAN'S favourite daughter, she is the most important woman in the harem and is forced to remain at the MUGHAL court all her life, caught up in the intrigues and power politics of her siblings, sacrificing her own desires for the sake of her father.

when SAM HAWTHORNE, a 25 year old u.s. army captain, arrives at the princely state of RUDRAKOT in may 1942, it is on the personal quest to find his  missing brother. 

but sam's mission is soon threatened by the unlikeliest of sources - he falls hopelessly in love with mila, daughter of the local political agent.

and mila, unexpectedly attracted to sam, finds herself torn between loyalty to her family and the man she loves. 

a sweeping and poignant story of forbidden love, it opens 21 years later with olivia, sam's daughter,

receiving a trunk of treasures from india, along with an anonymous letter that finally fills the silences of her childhood.

in this brilliant, collection of stories, indu sundaresan's lush pose vividly illuminates the complex issues of many indians face at home and abroad today, where some seek opportunities that their grandmothers only dreamed of while others experience just as much oppression as ever.

as empires rose and fell and mighty kings jostled for power, its glittering radiance never dimmed.

it is the 'MOUNTAIN OF LIGHT' 

the KOHINOOR DIAMOND.

and its facets reflect a sweeping story of love, adventure, conquest and betrayal.

its origins are the stuff of myth, but for centuries this spectacular gem changes hands from one ruler to another in india, persia, and afghanistan.

in 1850, the ancient stone is sent halfway around the world where it will play a pivotal role in the intertwined destinies of a boy-king of india and a young queen of england - a queen who claims 

THE MOUNTAIN OF LIGHT 

and INDIA, 

itself for her burgeoning empire, the most brilliant jewels in her imperial crown.

i read these books over a period of nearly 1 year.

these books will stay in my library forever, and i will revisit them many times.

i am sure when i re read again, i will rediscover something new about indian history.

i have never discovered an author, that i HAD TO HAVE all the novels that they wrote.

this woman, INDU , did that for me.

check out her webb site.

it has interviews with her. 

if you are looking for a new author, try MY FAVOURITE.