Thanks to the author, Indu Sundaresan and the publicist, Diana Franco of Washington Square Press/ Simon and Schuster, I am giving away two copies of The Mountain of Light.

 Back in 2010, I reviewed The Twentieth Wife by Indu Sundaresan and gave it a 5/5 stars.  The author is now coming out with a new book, The Mountain of Light.  If you are a historical fiction lover, you are going to want to get your hand on this book.  

Book Description:

 In January, 1850, Lord Dalhousie, the Governor-General of India, travels down the Indus River to Karachi, a precious package looped around his belt.  Dalhousie has just left the newly annexed Punjab Empire and its heir, the eleven-year-old Maharajah Dalip Singh—on departing, he takes with him one item from the empire’s enormous treasury.

Arriving at Bombay, Lord Dalhousie deposits this in the treasury at Fort George.  There the parcel tarries until April, when it is carried on a Royal Navy ship to England in the charge of two men, who are the only ones on board who know of its contents.

A few days later, the Queen of England, Victoria, opens the seals on the package and holds in her hand a mammoth 186 carat diamond set in a gold armlet, flanked by two smaller diamonds.  The Kohinoor diamond has safely arrived in England, in the greatest of secrecy, and only then is the news blazoned forth.


The Kohinoor—translated from Persian as ‘a mountain of light’—is one of the world’s most magnificent diamonds, originating in India, owned over centuries, by various rulers in India, Persia and Afghanistan.

The Mountain of Light begins in 1817, with the ruler of Afghanistan promising, and giving, the diamond to Dalip’s father, Maharajah Ranjit Singh.  A prior Governor-General and his sisters travel to Ranjit Singh’s court, to ask for his help in a war, and to admire his diamond.  When Ranjit dies, two Anglo-Sikh wars intervene, leading to the Punjab Empire being dissolved and added to British lands in India.

The young heir to the empire, Dalip Singh, is escorted out of his lands, put under the guardianship of British officials, brought up to become an English gentleman.  He follows the Kohinoor to England, meets the queen, is feted and petted there for a long while…until he realizes—as he grows into manhood—that nothing can replace the loss of his empire, his treasury, and his Kohinoor.

Indu Sundaresan’s sixth work of fiction, The Mountain of Light, is a brilliant tale of love, adventure, loss and betrayal, wrapped around the glowing heart of one of the world’s most famous diamonds.


Early Praise for The Mountain of Light:

“Sundaresan…tells the fascinating story of how the diamond travels from the hands of the king of Afghanistan to the arm of Queen Victoria during the early years of India’s colonization by the British…With a strong eye for detail and a great talent for dramatization, Sundaresan has composed an epic tale of a coveted jewel and its place in India’s rich history.”- Booklist

“On one level, Indu Sundaresan’s novel The Mountain of Light is a fascinating tale about a mythical jewel, filled with adventure and romance that draws the reader in. But on a deeper level, it is a keen and heart-rending examination of the costs of colonialism.”-—Chitra Divakaruni, author of Oleander Girl

“Once again Indu Sundaresan has brought history to life in this well-researched novel…Whether you read The Mountain of Light for its dramatic story, its lush setting, or its vivid characters, this novel will give you insights into history that will change you.”-Janet Lee Carey, Award-winning author of medieval fantasy


About Indu Sundaresan:

Indu Sundaresan is the author of the Taj trilogy (The Twentieth Wife; The Feast of Roses; Shadow Princess) set in 17th Century Mughal India; The Splendor of Silence, set in India in May of 1942; and a collection of contemporary Indian short stories, In the Convent of Little Flowers.  Her sixth work of fiction is The Mountain of Light.  Her work has been translated into 22 languages to date.

This giveaway is open to resisidents of Canada and the U.S. and ends on October 23, 2013.  Please use Rafflecopter to enter.


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Copyright 2007-2010: All the posts within this blog were originally posted by Teddy Rose and should not be reproduced without express written permission.