The Twentieth Wife

By: Indu Sundaresan

Narrated by: Sneha Mathan

Length: 14 hrs and 3 mins

Publisher's summary

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 listeners 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.

©2002 Indu Sundaresan (P)2006 Blackstone Audio Inc.

Critic reviews

"Sundaresan writes in the great tradition of the Indian epic, an art she carries forward with grace and brilliance....This is a remarkably readable book despite the historical basis, with which many readers will not be familiar." (Library Journal)
"Sundaresan's debut is a sweeping, carefully researched tale of desire, sexual mores, and political treachery set against the backdrop of 16th- and 17th-century India....[She] charts the chronology of the Mughal Empire, describing life in the royal court in convincing detail and employing authentic period terms throughout." (Publishers Weekly)

A love story for the ages. Historical Fiction

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, I enjoyed every minute of it. Very well written.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Mehrunnisa. She was an independent thinker. Steadfast.

What does Sneha Mathan bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Her reading was lovely. She did a fantastic job of the different characters. Her accent made the story more authentic Indian. She pronounced the proper names and words of the cultural that I would not know how to pronounce, not being of the culture the book was written.

If you could take any character from The Twentieth Wife out to dinner, who would it be and why?

Jagat Gosini. To hear the wisdom of this woman.

Any additional comments?

The Twentieth Wife is colorfully written. You can see the festivities, smell the flowers & incense, taste the curries. I was engaged throughout this book. It is a historical fiction and historically accurate as historical documents were available. You will not be disappointed with the writing, or the audio rendition of this book. It is rich in cultural. The love story is a wonderful one, definitely worth telling their story! Be aware that when the characters are given honors, they sometimes receive a new name. The book was very tastefully written. There are some details of war. I'm going to read another one of Indu Sundaresan's books it was so good.

Interesting Historical Fiction

Any additional comments?

Fascinating story based in the history of India's Mughal Empire. The story is about Mehrunnisa, daughter of a poor Persian who comes to the empire to make his fortune. She meets the son of Emperor Akbar (third of the Mughal) prince Salim when eight, and falls in love with him on his wedding day, and decides that someday, she will become his wife. Through brief encounters, Salim becomes fascinated with her, much to the disapproval of his powerful third wife, Jagat Gosain. The novel then follows Mehrunnisa's marriage to another Persian —a decorated soldier in Akbar's army, the rebellions of Salim against Akbar (where her husband betrays Salim), the reconciliation between father and son, and Salim's rise to power as Emperor Jahangir. Like his father, Salim's eldest son rebels, with the help of Mehrunnisa's husband. We also see how Jagat Gosain works to prevent Mehrunnisa and Salim from being together. Ultimately, however, it is the story of how, throughout the years, she held a power over him that no other in his harem of 19 wives and hundreds of concubines held over him.

Sundaresan creates a wonderful, vivid picture of the world of late 16th to early 17th Century India. The vastness of the Mughal Empire, the climate and customs of the period, the variety of it's people, and the complexity of the politics of the time are woven together to create an engaging story. There was a nice balance between providing the details and terms while not reading like a textbook explaining every term and custom. All of the main characters were distinct, and fully realized — each with their own voice and behaviors, letting me sink into the story despite my unfamiliarity with the setting - historical and cultural.

I look forward to reading the two following books by Sundaresan - the next dealing with Mehrunnisa's rise to be the premier wife, and the power behind the thrown. I always enjoy reading about the unconventional women of history.

An interesting read

This was a very unusual book, but I enjoyed reading it and would recommend it to anyone.

Compelling historical fiction

As a lover of india this was a fascinating tale that embellished real life people from the pages of history. Especially since it ties together with the preceding events of the Taj Mahal. It was a long tale and it took unexpected turns.

Long suffering Love!!

Wow. A beautifully written story of the devotion of two historic figures of the Mogul Empire in the 1500’s. I now know much more about that part of the world! The love story, partly fiction, is epic. Must read!

A Riveting Love Story

I had read the book several years ago and loved the factual history combined with the authors creative additions to recreate life at the time of the Mughals. The characters, once dry and two dimensional, were brought to life and especially the women of the Zanana and ofcourse the brilliant and beautiful Meherunissa. I thoroughly enjoyed the audio version but have z few pet peeves as far as the pronunciations go. The reader should have brushed up on her pronunciations of Urdu and Persian words and names which were grating on my Urdu speaking ears. Also, in a Muslim household of that era, a Father and Mother would be addressed as "Abbajan and Amijan" .."Maajii" is a very colloquial term used by a different class of society. When referring to her grand parents, Ladli calls them Dada and Dadi, whereas the mothers parents are always Nana and Nani. Also, the use of "Inshallah" seems out of place, its not a greeting, it means " God willing". These are minor refraction which obe doesn't pick up on when reading bug become very obvious when listening to ghe studio version. All in all, an enjoyable experience!

Very Engaging Story

I ended up loving this book and was glad I did not give up on it. I had trouble at first keeping all the people and places straight because I was not familiar with the names. Once I relaxed and took the story in, it was hard to stop listening each day. I am happy to hear there is a sequel and am going to look for The Feast of Roses after I finish this review.

Wanted to go out of my genre and so glad I did

This book is no less than exeptionary. I can't tell you what a joy it was listening to it. The reader is wonderful. everything is great. you won't be disappointed. I only have good to say about it.

Excellent story. Captivating.

loved the reader and the story. Historical and romantic without being sappy. buy it.

Beautiful storytelling

this was a beautiful love story. tragic, loving & memorable. historical fiction is best from the land of India.