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The Mountain of Light

by Indu Sundaresan

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1075252,740 (3.8)3
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 own burgeoning empire, the most brilliant jewels in her imperial crown. The Mountain of Light is a magnificent story of loss and recovery, sweeping change and enduring truth, wrapped around the glowing heart of one of the world's most famous diamonds.… (more)
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Showing 5 of 5
A little slow but still good and a tear jerker at the end. ( )
  CarriePalmer | Feb 28, 2014 |
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 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. ( )
  BooksCooksLooks | Dec 16, 2013 |
It is the Mountain of Light--the legendary 186-carat Kohinoor diamond and its facets--that reflects 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 own burgeoning empire, the most brilliant jewels in her imperial crown.
  AhalyaLiteraryAngels | Nov 27, 2013 |
I picked up The Mountain of Light by Indu Sundaresan because it boasted of a story of a large diamond: the Kohinoor. When I read the summary I was intrigued. I have not read a story centering around a gem in quite a long time and I kept thinking back to one of my favorite childhood movies, Romancing the Stone. I was positive that not only would I get a taste of adventure while reading The Mountain of Light, but I'd also get to learn a bit more history about India and examine more closely the relationship between India and England during a pivotal point in both countries' history.

Read the rest of this review at The Lost Entwife on Nov. 11, 2013 ( )
  TheLostEntwife | Nov 10, 2013 |
There was a question on one of the book pages I frequent: "Name the last book that kept you up all night." It was an easy question for me to answer. Since I read all the time, I hardly stay up all night to finish a book; I have all day to do it. However, in a trip to Thailand many years ago, I hid in the bathroom to finish a book, a rather difficult book due to all the historical facts. I hid in the bathroom so my light did not bother the other members of my family (prior Kindle time). The book, [b:The Twentieth Wife|27298|The Twentieth Wife|Indu Sundaresan|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348805017s/27298.jpg|27945], was by this author. Since then, I've read a few more books by Indu Sundaresan, and none has disappointed me. I enjoyed this story as much as, if not more than, all the others.

This book, like all her books, was written with intensive research into the history of India (also England in this case.) The story is centered around the Koh-i-Noor diamond, a gorgeous yellow diamond that's was held by rulers in Hindu, Mughal, Turkic, Afghan, Sikh and finally British, countries. The diamond was once around 186 carats and its name means "Mountain of Light." It has a curse that is believed for centuries to bring bad luck to all its male owners. They suffered from sicknesses, the loss of their throne, or worse, death. Only women owners could wear it safely without suffering any ill effects.

“The diamond is said to have held a curse. Legend had it that the Kohinoor could be safely possessed only by a woman, that no man who had it would long hold his kingdom, and that it could never be worn in the official crown of a monarch (hence, perhaps, the reason it was worn in an armlet or set in a throne). In India, Persia, and Afghanistan, during the diamond’s tumultuous and bloody history, only men owned the Kohinoor.” **

With her known beautiful words and realistic descriptions of people and sights of the period, along with reliable facts, the story begins when the Koh-i-Noor was given to the Punjab ruler Maharajah Ranjit Singh so he could help the Afghan ruler Shah Shuja regain his lost throne. The story ended with the death of Dulip Singh in Paris and the ownership of Koh-i-Noor in British Empire. From page one, the reader will feel transported back to the sound and sight of old India. Through out the book, you will experience the love of the young who are full of hope for a better future; the power of rulers, the betrayal and loyalty of human, the architecture and sights of India, the brutality of conquest, and the sadness and hopelessness of old age and along with losing one’s country. The smell of Chai and saffron will still linger after you close the book. It’s the best journey a reader could ever hope to achieve.

Other than everything that mentioned above...this story offers a very interesting take on the effect of colonialism. It's quite a sad book to read. I couldn't help but feel a sense of loss for the diamond, for the puppet maharajah Dulip Singh...and for his three children that all had no heir. History, which could never be forgotten, influences all of us. Will the human race really learn from their past mistakes?

If you have time, google the Koh-i-Noor and admire it on the crown of the Queen of England. It’s breathtakingly beautiful, regardless how it was obtained…

**Thanks to Washington Square Press for a preview galley. The quote was from the advanced reader's copy.
( )
  lovestampmom | Aug 8, 2013 |
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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 own burgeoning empire, the most brilliant jewels in her imperial crown. The Mountain of Light is a magnificent story of loss and recovery, sweeping change and enduring truth, wrapped around the glowing heart of one of the world's most famous diamonds.

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