Indu Sundaresan

Sundaresan weaves a vivid and brutal tapestry of noble life during the Mughal Empire (northern India through Pakistan and a chunk of Afghanistan circa 1600). Building upon available accounts from the time period, we learn of Mehrunnisa who eventually becomes Emperor Jahangir's twentieth and final wife at an unconventional 34 years old. Not realizing this was part of a series (why I'm currently in the middle of so many, waaaaaaah) and being ignorant of this history, I'm eager to obtain the show more next installment where she becomes Empress Nur Jahan (Light of the World) and rules one of India's largest and most powerful dynasties from behind a veil. Can't get the harem's assault of color and brilliance tinged with decay scrubbed from behind my eyelids - has someone written a story about a forgotten concubine (neither smut nor a tale of rising from that station)? show less

I will start by writing that to me this was not so much a novel as a series of short stories with the Kohinoor Diamond as what drew them together. Each "chapter" was a period of time in the history of the diamond and its sad displacement from India to England.

I had very, very limited knowledge of Indian history going into this book and it has expanded a bit after reading and I'm pleased. I'll be looking for more reading in this area. Ms. Sundaresan does an excellent job of marrying the show more history of the land with the magic of the Kohinoor. The names are a touch confusing at the onset as some are quite similar but once the reader learns to differentiate the stories flow easily and are very well written with rich descriptions of environment, clothing and the overall wealth of the Punjab Empire.

I read the book in just about one sitting as I found it hard to put down. Despite knowing the end story of the Kohinoor I wanted to know about the people surrounding the diamond and in this the book did not disappoint. The feelings and emotions were well described and the characters all well developed - I think that even that cold piece of carbon developed into a true character in the book. I felt for it when it was downsized....

A truly fascinating book presenting a rich history from a unique perspective. It sparkled like a diamond. show less

Having read this author before and loving her books, I was really looking forward to The Splendor of Silence by Indu Sundaresan. Unfortunately, I wasn’t as pleased with this book as I had hoped. There’s a lot going on, it’s partly a historical history, partly a love story, an partly a mystery. And I think that is the reason I was left slightly unsatisfied, simply too much going on and a feeling that some of the story was slipping through the cracks.

Starting in the 1960’s a young show more woman, grieving over the death of her father, Sam, receives a trunk from India and learns about her unknown mother from the unidentified letters enclosed within. We are then drawn back to 1942 and the events surrounding her parents who meet and fall in love over the course of four days in the small principality of Rudrakot, in the northwest of India. If the focus had remained on these two people, I think the story would have benefited but other minor characters were also given detailed storylines.

This story touches on many events that were happening at that time, from the world war, to India stirring with a desire to throw off the British yoke for independence. A fascinating time and place, I wanted to be swept away with an touching storyline about this rapidly changing society but instead I felt the narrative was broken into too many pieces and it lost much of it’s appeal. Still I would definitely try another of her books as I love her exotic settings and her insights into the mysterious country of India. show less

Mehrunnisa is born when her family’s fortunes are at their lowest. They’ve fled Persia and barely have enough money to make the trip to India. They don’t know where their next meal is coming from. A kind stranger helps them on their way and their fortunes improve.

Mehrunnisa comes to the attention of the emperor’s favorite wife as a child. Beautiful, intelligent, and witty, her charms only increase as she grows into womanhood, so that even the heir to the throne of the Mughul Empire show more notices her.

I’ve struggled a little lately with a bit of a reading slump. I can usually break out of those by reading a few quick fantasies. This book should not have worked for me right now but it absolutely did.

I know very little Indian history so I didn’t know anything about this emperor, his wives, or even this period in time (early 1600s). It was tumultuous, to say the least. Sons plot against their fathers to take thrones, Portuguese Jesuits are looking for Catholic converts and exclusive trading rights, English traders are trying to establish their own trade routes, and nearby kingdoms are testing the emperor as a matter of course. And that doesn’t even include the intrigue in the zenana (What I would think of as the harem, correctly or not). My ignorance meant that I was never sure what was going to happen next so I kept listening in every spare moment, eager to see what happened next.

In many ways, fortune smiles on Mehrunnisa but I could also argue that she’s cursed. Either way, her life is never dull. The author presents her as a woman who wants to determine her own fate and who’s largely driven by love and desire. But she’s clever and calculating too. I occasionally wondered which side was governing her behavior. She was realistically complex.

The rich details, foreign setting, and unfamiliar culture of this book made me feel lost in a different place and time. I could practically smell the exotic food, hear the tinkling bangles, and feel the sweltering heat as I listened. Those same details may bog the pace down for some readers though.

Sneha Mathan’s beautiful voice and soft, musical accent made her narration outstanding. I just added every available work she’s read to my library to-read list.

Readers who want to be transported to a different time and place and who don’t mind a slow pace will enjoy this one. I especially recommend the audiobook. I’ll be listening to the rest of the series soon.

My apologies for any misspellings in this review. The wonderful thing about listening to an audiobook with unfamiliar names and words is that I know how they’re pronounced; on the flip side, I don’t know how to spell them. show less