Every book I read makes me fall more in love with reading and Beneath a Marble Sky by John Shors, was no exception and is great for anyone 18 and over. This amazing story starts with Jahanara, Princess of Hindustan, sharing her true identity with her grand-daughters, who know nothing of their family’s incredible history.
Jahanara is educated and outspoken, something that is unexpected in seventeenth-century Hindustan. As a child she studies and spends time with her family and lives a life free of worry and full of wealth. However when her mother dies leaving her father consumed with grief she takes on the duty of caring for him. When he decided to build a magnificent mausoleum to show how much he loved her, the great Taj Mahal would be created. Jahanara, although already married to a horrible man who frequently forces himself on her and physically abuses her, falls in love with its builder. Over the years, as her father starts fading, his war and power hungry son, Aurangzeb, decides that he should be the one to take over the empire instead of his peace loving brother, Dara. The fighting rips the family apart and Aurangzeb eventually takes control of the empire, thrusting the country into turmoil. Jahanara must fight for her life and the lives of her loved ones. Following the death of her father, she manages to finally escape for good and stays away, hiding her secret until the day she decides to tell her grand daughters who they truly are.
With every page of this book I felt like I was being transported. I couldn’t put this book down and read it every chance I got. This is one book that I could read over and over again, just to see if I missed anything. Its a must read for any romance or history lover!
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