In his debut novel, John Shors has created a passionate story about love and life. Set in India (then known as Hindustan) in the 1600's, this is the story of the building of the great Taj Mahal and about the destiny of the Empire. Told by the princess daughter of the emperor who commissioned this spectacular feat of architecture and the empress whose love inspired him to do so, this book is the weaving of love stories of two different generations. The love of the emperor and his wife is echoed in the love that Princess Jahanara experiences in her forbidden feelings for the Taj Mahal's architect.And whilst the love stories are so strongly felt by the reader, they are indeed only one element in the lives of these well-developed characters. The story begins with a secure Empire where art flourished, different religions were not only tolerated but appreciated, and wealth abounded. Slowly, sibling rivalries are developed, war and hate dominates, and the strengths of the characters must overcome the most heartbreaking of obstacles on a personal level in order to survive the political upheaval over which they have no control.
For the reader, this book will transport you to another era in another place. Shors does a wonderful job of developing his characters and making them feel like real people. He avoids the pitfall of most authors: in this novel you will not find the overdevelopment of a character; you will not find the annoying and frustrating 'polarization' of traits to the point that the character no longer resembles anything close to a real person. Instead, you will fall in love with Princess Jahanara; you will feel her plight, you will delight in her joys. You will know who she is and how she thinks, and will understand her internal and external conflicts. And in the end, when you're done reading the last page, you will sigh for her. And like the lives of real people, the sigh is neither for polarized happiness nor tragedy, but rather for all the feelings in between.
No comments:
Post a Comment