Helpful Score: 5
Lush, exotic account of 17th century India...a love story based on fact. This would count as the best kind of historical fiction.
Jessica W. (jessielynn) reviewed The Twentieth Wife (Taj Mahal Trilogy, Bk 1) on + 79 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 4
Very, very enjoyable read about the palace hierarchy and a woman's struggle for meaning within it.
Shirley S. (sowafeam) reviewed The Twentieth Wife (Taj Mahal Trilogy, Bk 1) on + 35 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
tells the captivating story of one of India's most controversial empresses - a woman whose brilliance,determination and love shaped the course of the Mughal Empire.
Robyn V. (robynsmith) reviewed The Twentieth Wife (Taj Mahal Trilogy, Bk 1) on + 3 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
I LOVED this book. I loved it so much that I was sad when I finished it. I look forward to reading the sequel. The book is rich and beautifully written. I won't repeat the plot, because that's easy enough to find, but I just wanted to say that I truly enjoyed reading this book.
Helpful Score: 2
I personally did not like this story. In my opinion, the man she wanted had no redeeming qualities whatsoever: he drank excessively, enjoyed the company of his concubines, couldn't carry on much of a conversation, and seemed to like the main character simply for her beauty.
Yuck!! This was one of my least favorite stories.
Yuck!! This was one of my least favorite stories.
Helpful Score: 2
A wonderful historical novel about an ancient Indian empress - the woman who was so loved by an emperor that he constructed the Taj Mahal in her honor.
Christine C. (cconradlane) reviewed The Twentieth Wife (Taj Mahal Trilogy, Bk 1) on + 43 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
A vivid and enchanting read that sweeps you back into 17th century India.
Helpful Score: 1
Historical Fiction--Very Interesting view of a time and persons not commonly available to english speaking readers. A gifted storyteller.
Michelle V. (mich119) reviewed The Twentieth Wife (Taj Mahal Trilogy, Bk 1) on + 5 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
I found this book hard to get into at first. I think it was the constant use of words that had to be looked up in the extensive glossary that made it difficult for me to get really immersed into the story from the start. However, once I got used to that, I did enjoy the book very much. It tells the story of Mehrunnisa, her love for the Emperor, and the struggles during her life to end up with her love. I have had the sequel on my WL for awhile as well, and am now looking forward to reading it to continue this story. If you are at all interested in India culture, and enjoy a love story, I'd recommend this book.
Historical fiction - realistic tale of a family that has immigrated to India
Julie W. (cloverluv) reviewed The Twentieth Wife (Taj Mahal Trilogy, Bk 1) on + 129 more book reviews
SOOOOO good! I wanted to read the sequel right away!!!!
I must say I loved this book. My mom and friends are waiting to read it too.
Fantastic book, engrossing till the very end!
I greatly enjoyed the first 1/3 of this book, but then felt it lost its voice. It picked up again towards the end but I felt it never regained the strong characters created in the beginning. An interesting story, nonetheless, and worth reading just for the different setting.
Great narrative and interesting historical/cultural perspectives are illuminated in this book, which is, however, counterbalanced by some pretty overt feminine subservience masked in a story that is supposed to be about an independent, powerful woman.
Great read..
Angel S. (readnroks) reviewed The Twentieth Wife (Taj Mahal Trilogy, Bk 1) on + 28 more book reviews
Take a step back in time to a world most of us could never imagine. Great read and interesting bit of history and setting.
