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The Twentieth Wife: A Novel | 
 enlarge | Author: Indu Sundaresan
Publisher: Washington Square Press
Category: Book
List Price: $15.00
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Rating:  84 reviews
Sales Rank: 50364
Media: Paperback
Pages: 416
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.8
Dimensions (in): 8.3 x 5.4 x 1.2
ISBN: 0743428188
Dewey Decimal Number: 813
EAN: 9780743428187
ASIN: 0743428188
Publication Date: February 18, 2003
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Amazon.com Review
In The Twentieth Wife, first-time novelist Indu Sundaresan introduces readers to life inside a bejeweled, dazzling birdcage--the world of the Mughal Court's zenana, or imperial harem. Her heroine exercises power in the only way available to a woman in 17th-century India: from behind the veil. At the age of 8, Mehrunissa (the name means "Sun of Women") has already settled on her life's goal. After just one glimpse of his face, she wants to marry the Crown Prince Salim. And marry him she does, albeit some 26 years later, after overcoming the opposition of her family, an ill-starred early marriage, numerous miscarriages, and the scheming of other wives. The story's gothic trappings have a basis in fact. As Sundaresan writes in her afterword, the historical Mehrunissa exercised far more power than was usually allotted to an empress, issuing coins in her own name, giving orders, trading, owning property, and patronizing the arts. (Curiously, the book ends just as Mehrunissa is ascending to the throne as empress, dwelling on her years of powerlessness and struggle rather than those of her enormous political influence.) Although the empress was fabled in her time, we know next to nothing about the woman herself. Unfortunately, Sundaresan does little to flesh out this intriguing figure. Despite the vivid historical detail, the reader remains more aware of the author's presence--and her own contemporary take on women's issues--than of her characters' inner lives. --Mary Park
Product Description
An enchanting historical epic of grand passion and adventure, this debut novel tells the captivating story of one of India's most controversial empresses -- 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 sweeps readers up in Mehrunnisa's embattled love with Prince Salim, and in the bedazzling destiny of a woman -- a legend in her own time -- who was all but lost to history until now.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 79 more reviews...
 Good historical background, but poor character development. March 28, 2005
Monika (Davis, California)
14 out of 18 found this review helpful
This debut novel from Indu Sundaresan, based on historical events, recounts the first three and a half decades in the life of Mehrunnisa, a young woman who would later be known as Empress Nur Jahan. Even as a young girl she was determined to one day marry the handsome Prince Salim. And when the prince happens to meet Mehrunnisa a few times, quite by accident, he is enchanted with her as well. But Mehrunnisa is married off to another man, a mere soldier, who treats her with cruelty and does not love her. The book follows her through her twenty-seven years of marriage to Ali Quli.
This period of time, encompassing the late 16th and early 17th centuries, saw many historically significant events: Prince Salim's rebellion against his father, Emperor Akbar; the rebellion of Salim's own son after Salim takes the throne as Emperor Jahangir; Ali Quli's fateful alliance with the rebel Prince Khusrau; along with other wars of the time. We see Mehrunnisa endure the many hardships that come her way as her family is shamed and disreputed by the actions of her husband and brother, and how they eventually manage to regain the emperor's esteem. And ultimately, we see the fruition of the childhood passion between Salim and Mehrunnisa when she becomes Emperor Jahangir's twentieth and most influencial wife.
"The Twentieth Wife" is rich in historical detail, which I found interesting as I have little knowledge of the Mughal Empire. The downside, however, is that the characters are poorly developed. They are ultimately forgettable. Large-scale events overshadow interpersonal relations, and Mehrunnisa, her family, Jahangir, and the others remain flat and difficult to care for. The romance between Mehrunnisa and Jahangir is unconvincing. They meet only a handful of times, briefly, and exchange very few words. Sundaresan does not offer any explanation for the emperor's captivation with this woman, who was from a family that would have supplied no political advantages to the emperor via his marriage to her.
In summation, the book provided nothing to me that a textbook wouldn't have. It added to my historical knowledge and was a relatively easy read, but did little to stir my emotions. If I ever pick up its sequel, "The Feast of Roses," it will be out of historical interest, and not from expectation of a great story. And in all likelihood, if I find myself wanting to learn more of the history of the Mughal Empire, I'll pick up a work of non-fiction instead. This isn't a terrible novel, but there are many better pieces of historical fiction to be had, and I'd suggest passing this one by and looking elsewhere.
 Splendor and love and plain old fashioned storytelling! I loved it! July 1, 2006
Linda Linguvic (New York City)
13 out of 13 found this review helpful
This historical novel is based on facts of the late 16th and early 17th century rule of the Mughal Empire in India. The main character, Mahrunnisa, was real - a woman who married the Emperor when she was no longer young, and who then ruled the Empire with him. The story is sweeping and romantic.
To be honest, I read the first 50 pages of the book and decided not to read any more. It seemed formulaic at first. And I also have a politically correct streak in me about books always being written about empires rather than common people. And so I put the book in my give-away pile. Then I went to sleep and when I woke up I was thinking about the story. And so, I raced home that evening, picked up the book, and read another 150 pages at once, gobbling the book up in big chunks until I had thoroughly read and enjoyed all 396 pages.
What a book! What a story! What an interesting history lesson!
The Mughal Empire was so vast and so rich that it was inevitable that there would be lots of in-fighting for the throne. The Empire had a harem but only one of his sons could be Emperor. Competition was ugly. Wars were fought. Lives were lost. There was splendor and love and plain old fashioned good storytelling with the violence real but understated, as was the romance. I was totally captivated.
I loved it the book so much I am ordering the sequel. Can't wait to read it.
Beautiful story of determination........ March 25, 2006
Barbara (beautiful Charleston, SC)
12 out of 15 found this review helpful
I enjoy reading many different genres, but historical fiction is one of my favorites......and lately, the cultures of India, Sudan, and any of the countries in that exotic section of this wonderful world seems to satisfy my reading addiction.
THE TWENTIETH WIFE is a rich, exotic view of the women, their desires, and females' position in society in the Mughal Empire of 1600's India.
I could "feel" India as I read the story of Menhurrisa. This girl knew what she wanted at the early age of 8 and kept her focus on the love for a man she first saw in a parade. Almost all woman in that era would consider love for a man like this unattainable..........royalty above her class.
This was a book that I couldn't get enough of. I looked forward to the next page at all times. I enjoy reading a book that takes me mentally to another time and place. By reading this book, I learned a lot about the ancient 17th century Indian cultures of women and harem life, which had a class system of its own that the women had to deal with.
I highly recommend reading this book if you like historical fiction or if you enjoy reading a story of a strong woman who believes in herself and beats all odds to attain her desires.
I read this book about 2 1/2 years ago and the story has stayed in my memory. I bought the sequel, THE FEAST OF ROSES, last year and plan on reading it as soon as I finish the historical fiction novel that I am now reading set in 1500 England.
If you are looking for an awesome book, and very good historical fiction with surprising twists and turns spiced with a whole lot of action......this is a book you will truly devour.
I highly recommend this read.
B Harris
The Power of Love February 11, 2002
Victoria (New York)
9 out of 9 found this review helpful
Sundaresan's novel draws a vivid and colorful picture of 17th century India under the Mughal rule. The underlying theme of the seemingly faceless, mute and therefore mysterious mughal women wielding power over the monarchy by the force of their love provides an enthralling story line. The descriptions of the Mina Bazar, a market solely for the women belonging to the Royal harem to be able to move freely without being veiled, drives home the extremely cloistered life these women lived, where once they enter the zenana, neither do they see any man other than the king for the rest of their lives, nor does any male not of immediate family ever catch a glimpse of them. The wealth of detailed descriptions of the lifestyle, locale and time, helps provide a fertile imagination with a clear picture of life in India during the 17th century. This story about Mehrunissa, who broke all the established customs of that time, who, at the age of 34 (when women were discarded as old and useless) managed to capture the King's fancy to the extent that he married her as his twentieth wife holds the reader enthralled until the finale. Though this book is a fictionalized version of Indian history in the 17th century, most events are accurately recorded, showing that the author has done her homework! A must-read gripping tale of love and hate, desire and ambition, treachery and debauchery.
 Worse than a bodice ripper September 20, 2006
ThirdShift (Las Vegas, NV)
9 out of 17 found this review helpful
I picked this book up because it was on a book club's book list. I actually had to go through InterLibrary Loan to get it since it wasn't available at my library. After reading and forcing myself to finish it, I envision the head librarian at my branch shredding all copies to line hen cages, which would explain why a book club item wasn't available in a library. Or perhaps the book club people had gone temporarily mad, who can say.
Many other reviewers have commented on the one-dimensional characters, the wooden pace, the absence of any attempt to sketch character motivation, but no one has mentioned the idiotic prose that flows, page after page, endless as the wine in Salim's cup. "He looked down, and there was something sticking out from his belly. It was a sword," is a paraphrased example of what you might find in this book, or with equal probability and more purpose, on an SNL skit.
This is a badly written book, if you had no interest in Mughal history, you will not have any interest in it after reading this book. If you thought that was a wonderful period rich in complexity, you'd shred this book and line the hen cages too.
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