The Twentieth Wife
The Twentieth Wife
Book Brief
380
Novel • Fiction
Mughal India • 17th Century
2002
Adult
18+ years
Super Short Summary
The Twentieth Wife by Indu Sundaresan chronicles the life of Mehrunnisa, a Persian refugee's daughter in late sixteenth-century India, who becomes the powerful Empress Nur Jahan, the twentieth and final wife of Emperor Jahangir, navigating through a complex web of royal politics, personal ambitions, and courtly intrigue in the Mughal Empire while striving to secure her place and influence in a male-dominated world. The book contains sensitive topics such as arranged marriages, substance abuse, and political betrayal.
Romantic
Emotional
Inspirational
Mysterious
Reviews & Readership
18,008 ratings
Loved it
Mixed feelings
Not a fan
Review Roundup
The Twentieth Wife by Indu Sundaresan has garnered praise for its rich historical detail and immersive storytelling, bringing Mughal India to vivid life. Critics appreciate the strong, complex protagonist, though some feel the pacing is uneven. The novel is celebrated for its lush descriptions but critiqued for occasional melodrama. Overall, it’s an engaging historical romance.
Who Should Read The Twentieth Wife?
A reader who enjoys The Twentieth Wife by Indu Sundaresan would likely be captivated by historical fiction woven with romance and political intrigue. Fans of Philippa Gregory's The Other Boleyn Girl or Ken Follett's The Pillars of the Earth will appreciate Sundaresan's rich detail and immersive storytelling set in Mughal India.
18,008 ratings
Loved it
Mixed feelings
Not a fan
The Twentieth Wife is Indu Sundaresan's debut novel, which won the Washington State Book Award for Fiction in 2003.
The novel is inspired by the life of Mehrunnisa, also known as Empress Nur Jahan, one of the most influential women in Mughal history.
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Indu Sundaresan was inspired to write The Twentieth Wife due to the lack of representation of powerful women figures from Indian history in literature.
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380
Novel • Fiction
Mughal India • 17th Century
2002
Adult
18+ years
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