Beneath a Marble Sky

"Beneath a Marble Sky" is a story told in flashback by Jahanara, the favorite daughter of the Mughal leader Shah Jahan (ruled 1628-1658) and his wife Mumtaz Mahal. Her early life is one of luxury and play tempered by a burgeoning sense of responsibility about her future role as a representative of a Muslim emperor ruling over a majority Hindu state. Even as she swims in the river with her brothers Dara and Aurangzeb, or gossips with her Hindu friend Ladli, Jahanara knows that one day she will marry someone of importance to the empire. In the meantime she spends a large amount of time with her beautiful mother, learning how to overcome the obstacles placed in the way of women in a Muslim dominated court. She also begins to see the strains between her brother Aurangzeb and the rest of the family, strains that will one day explode into a series of disasters for the Mughal Empire. Still, Jahanara is content in her youth, enjoying the world around her through the innocent eyes of a child.

As Jahanara grows into a beautiful young woman resembling in no small way her mother, storm clouds appear on the horizon. Her parents marry her off to the sleazy Khondamir, a wealthy silver merchant who only wants Jahanara as a wife to increase his power with the court. This marriage removes the young princess from the day-to-day activities of the court, where the power struggles to succeed Shah Jahan begin in earnest. Aurangzeb, his hatred for the family growing by leaps and bounds, has been spending an enormous amount of time leading the military in campaigns against the Persians in the North and the Deccans in the South. His brother Dara, on the other hand, remains at home studying philosophy and religion. Jahanara worries about Dara's indifference to all things relating to the throne, and tries to warn her brother about the risks posed by Aurangzeb. Meanwhile, Mumtaz Mahal dies while giving birth to a child, thus leading Shah Jahan to build a mausoleum to memorialize his beloved wife. The emperor employs Isa, a talented architect, to build what will become the Taj Mahal. Jahanara helps Isa in this arduous task, which allows her to escape the wily Khondamir for a time. The chore allows Jahanara to show off her intelligence, as well as letting her reenter the political intrigues in the court. On numerous occasions, the princess saves members of her family from Aurangzeb's wrath using only the wits she inherited from her savvy mother. I won't spoil the rest of the story, but twists and turns aplenty abound right up to the last page.

Maybe it's just me, but I thought Shors's writing style resembled in no small way those wonderful translations of "1001 Nights" and similar tales of the Orient. You get an amazing sense of what it must have felt like to stroll through a bazaar, with its exotic sights, smells, and sounds. You also get a strong feel for power politics in an eastern imperial family, which, to no surprise, is about the same as it would be in a European monarchy. The best part of the book in my opinion is Aurangzeb's religious orthodoxy. Here's a guy whose strict Muslim beliefs lead him to brand members of his own family as heretics worthy of execution. Regrettably for the Mughal Empire, the Muslims were a minority in a Hindu country. Aurangzeb hated this majority and punished them accordingly when he assumed the throne. The resulting chaos eventually set the stage for the British conquest of India. In the book, the reader cannot help but see shades of Osama Bin Laden lurking behind the actions and words of Aurangzeb. At first I thought attributing these traits to Jahan's son was anachronistic, but it's not. Aurangzeb really was an Islamic fanatic. As the empire teeters on the brink of annihilation, the Taj Mahal towers in the background, a monument to love surrounded by so much hate and suffering.

Give John Shors's book a go if you love historical fiction. It's a great read about a period of history most westerners know nothing about. The quick pace, wonderful atmosphere, and the major and minor themes in the book will resonate with readers. I have only seen pictures of the Taj Mahal, and will probably never get over to India to see it in person, so reading this book was sort of a substitute for a lengthy trip. I have already recommended the book to a few people I know, and I think you will do the same after you read it.


An exquisite novel on the love story behind the Taj Mahal   June 13, 2004
Lawrance M. Bernabo (The Zenith City, Duluth, Minnesota)
33 out of 35 found this review helpful

Before I say anything else my strong recommendation is to resist the impulse to look at any history of the building of the Taj Mahal. I made the mistake of going on line to find some pictures of the Taj Mahal once I got to the point in John Shors' "Beneath a Marble Sky" where the grand mausoleum had been completed and instead of stopping at the photographs I glanced at what was known about the historical figures at the center of the novel and it gave away a major development. So do as I say and not as I do. Afterwards you can find the true events that weave their way through this exquisite first novel.

All that really matters when you pick up this novel is that you have seen a picture of the Taj Mahal (it is not like there is a bad one). It does not matter whether or not you know that it is a mausoleum or that it honors the Mughal Empress Mumtaz Mahal, because what is important is that if you have seen it you know the Taj Mahal is one of the most beautiful buildings on the planet, a sublime mix of architectural magnificence and aesthetic beauty, and this historical romance is about how it came to be built. When the Taj Mahal is a tomb, then the great pyramids of Giza are reduced to just being piles of big blocks.

The narrator of "Beneath a Marble Sky" is Jahanara, the daughter of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan and because Jahanara his wife Mumtaz Mahal, who tells her story and that of her family to her granddaughters, who are visiting the Taj Mahal for the first time. The tale begins when she was thirteen and beginning to appreciate how difficult it is to be a woman in a man's world. It seems she will be a spectator to both the great love between her parents and the contention between two of her brothers for her father's throne. Dara is a student of philosophy and religion believes that Muslims and Hindus can life together in harmony, while Aurangzeb is a ruthless warrior and puritanical zealot who wants to extend the borders of the Empire in all directions and send unbelievers to their richly deserved deaths.

When his beloved wife dies the emperor hires a talented young architect, Ustad Isa, to build her a beautiful memorial, the Rauza-I Munavvara ("Tomb of Light"). As the Taj Mahal rises, the conflict between the two brothers comes to a head, but the fate of the empire comes second to that of Jahanara and who has her own love story. When you get to the heart of this novel and why it works it is because Shors comes up with an elegant explanation for why a man would be inspired by a dead woman he has never seen to create the most beautiful building on earth. At the same time Shors remains faithful to the cultures and the poetic rhythms of the languages they speak.

A key part of what makes this novel work is that it is really another tale from the Arabian Nights. Those fabled 1001 tales came from three cultures, Arabic, Persian, and Indian, while this novel set in Hindustan represents a culture clash between two of those three as a Muslim emperor rules a predominantly Hindu land. However the idea that this is another Scheherazade story matters because the characters and events are slightly larger than life. We are, after all, talking about a beautiful Muslim princess along with the course of an empire.

There was a point in the narrative where I found myself questioning that Jahanara's parents would ever marry their beloved daughter to such a wretched soul as Khondair. A reason was given, but the validity of it was implicit at best and it was only when it dawned on me that this is a tale writ as large as Aladdin and Ali Baba that I realized history and realism were not the standards by which "Beneath a Marble Sky" is to be judged. This is an epic romance even if it is told in deeply intimate terms and while it is not a fantasy it is touched by the exotic, which tempers fidelity to the history around which Shors has crafted his own work.

Final Notes: First, I noticed one of the best web sites devoted to the Taj Mahal mentions this book. It should, because it is going to inspire a lot of people to go to Agar. Maybe not as many as are currently heading to New Zealand to visit Middle Earth, but a sizeable number nonetheless. Second, I have to wonder what in the world John Shors will write next after this one. Where does he go from here? It will be interesting to find out and there will be a lot of people looking forward to that next book after reading "Beneath a Marble Sky."


Exotic, Erotic, Exemplary Prose Bathing Historical Fiction   September 28, 2006
Grady Harp (Los Angeles, CA United States)
12 out of 12 found this review helpful

John Shors has the gift. It is as simple as that. In BENEATH A MARBLE SKY he has created a stunning love story woven through the interstices of the 16th century Hindustani building of the Taj Mahal, one of the Seven Wonders of the world, a place on earth where Paradise touches mortals in a magnificent mausoleum for the beloved wife of the Emperor. Not only is this a symphonic novel of surpassing craftsmanship and beauty, it is also a book that informs the reader about the differences between Muslim and Hindu religions, about the Persian Empire, about customs of caste, of worldviews, of architecture, and of the myriad flavors of a land too few of us understand.

Told in the words of one Princess Jahanara, the beautiful daughter of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan whose grief for the loss of his wife Arjumand - the Mumtaz ('taz' becoming 'Taj') Mahal - during childbirth results in his pledge to create the most beautiful mausoleum for his beloved's rest, the story unravels the many tangles of the royal family including the disparate brothers Dara and Aurangzeb, and eventually leads to a dangerous liaison between Jahanara (married to a loathsome beast) and Isa, the architect for the Taj Mahal.

Shors paces this complex story so well that it seems far shorter than the near 350 pages - and it impossible to put the book down once begun. Part of the glory of Shors' writing is his obvious research into the history, the customs, the idiosyncrasies of royalty, the social systems of the times, and even the flavors of the spices and foods and the colors and types of clothing that drape this novel in unforgettable tapestry. His characters are painted with vibrant tones and his narration breathes the exotic tenor of the times about which he writes. Few authors have been able to describe the mysteries of the actual Taj Mahal with the accuracy Shors is capable of producing. Yet the overwhelming effect of this novel is not that it recreates history: this novel transports the reader to a time when life was much different - and yet much the same as today!

There are many reasons to select books to read. Selecting BENEATH A MARBLE SKY celebrates our intellect, our passion, our need for knowledge of the past, and our luxuriating in brilliant prose. Highly recommended on every level. Grady Harp, September 06


A beautiful book   May 24, 2004
Beth Cone (New York, NY)
11 out of 11 found this review helpful

I was lucky enough to see a review of this book online, and upon reading the glowing review, decided to immediately get a copy. I spent most of the weekend reading it, and just finished it a few minutes ago. I was so moved by the book that I decided to write my first review on Amazon.

Simply put, this is an amazing story. I've never been to India, but this novel took me there, and introduced me to the Taj Mahal, which I am now longing to visit. This is a powerful, beautiful story. And the fact that it's based on true events made turning its pages even more enjoyable for me.

Anyone who is a fan of historical fiction (as I am) should read this novel. The author managed to re-create a rich period in history, and did so in a very subtle way.

After finishing this book, I was reminded of how I felt after completing Memoirs of a Geshia. Both books took me somewhere new, and made me cry more than a little.

It's almost impossible for me to be critical of this book. I loved it that much. My only slight disappointment was that there wasn't a map up front.

However, the book is beautiful inside and out, and I'd highly recommend it.


Beneath a Marble Sky   August 13, 2006
Heather Goodman
10 out of 10 found this review helpful

A historical fiction based on the legend of the Taj Mahal, the marble mausoleum built by a widowed emperor in India in honor of his wife, Beneath a Marble Sky creates a kingdom of poetry lost to a warmongering extremist. But the tale centers on the emperor's daughter, Jahanara, as she narrates her story of love and exile to her granddaughters. Be warned: once you pick up this book, you will be captivated. My sleepy late night eyes were riveted to the page. I highly recommend this book.
The luxurious use of metaphors at first seems forced and formal, but it lends itself to the Indian world. The reader adapts to this sing-song language and consequently is drawn in to the culture. I was lost in the land of Hindustan.
I found myself caught up in Princess Jahanara's dilemmas as she weighed the place of love, duty, and devotion. The author, John Shors, was able to portray a woman's heart, longing for security and affirmation from her parents and her burgeoning family. She is a woman full of ambition for herself and her kingdom, a woman of charitable sensitivity, and a woman longing for passionate love. Jahanara was given to a wealthy man in her father's kingdom in marriage. She struggles with feelings of betrayal from her parents for betrothing her to a churlish lout while still maintaining her duty to her father, the emperor. She finds sanctuary in her parents' household as often as possible until her mother's death requires her to find indefinite harbor there as she oversees the creation of the Taj Mahal. There she finds the passionate love she of which she had long dreamed but with it discovers a new set of quandaries. I alternately fought Jahanara's decisions and cried with her tragedies. While I would not have made the choices Jahanara made, I felt tied to her and sympathetic with her. In the same way we try to stop the character from entering a dark room while the suspenseful music is playing, I tried to stop Jahanara from turns and paths.
At the end of the day, I have very few questions, but still, weeks after finishing the book, they turn in my mind. I question how Jahanara told the story to her granddaughters: the descriptions of her love-making sessions with both her husband and her lover heightened the disparity between the brute and the tender, but I cannot help but wonder if Jahanara would truly describe these in such detail to her young granddaughters. I question some of her choices of her commitment to her father versus her commitment as a mother. Is my questioning a result of my Western heritage or universal? Was her choice made from insecurity or honor? But these minor questions did not take away from my enjoyment of the book or compassion with the character. I had been emotionally held hostage and for days after felt despondent at both the loss of the characters from my life and the beauty of the story itself.
This paperback is more than worth the buy for rereads and re-entering the lost kingdom.