Book Description
The love story of Emperor Jahangir and Mehrunnisa, begun in the critically praised debut novel The Twentieth Wife, continues in Indu Sundaresan's lush second novel, The Feast of Roses. Here, Mehrunnisa comes into Jahangir's harem as his twentieth and last wife. This time Jahangir has married for love, and members of his court are worried that Mehrunnisa could exert control over their futures. Their concerns are well founded.
Mehrunnisa soon becomes the most powerful woman in the Mughal Empire in spite of a formidable rival in the imperial harem who has schemed and plotted against her from the start. She rules from behind the veil, securing her status by forming a junta of sorts with her father, brother, and stepson -- and risking it all, even her daughter, to get what she wants. But she never loses the love of the man who bestows this power upon her....
Download Description
"The love story of Emperor Jahangir and Mehrunnisa, begun in the critically praised debut novel The Twentieth Wife, continues in Indu Sundaresan's The Feast of Roses. This lush new novel tells the story behind one of the great tributes to romantic love and one of the seven wonders of the world -- the Taj Mahal. Mehrunnisa, better known as Empress Nur Jahan, comes into Jahangir's harem as his twentieth and last wife. Almost from the beginning of her royal life she fits none of the established norms of womanhood in seventeenth-century India. Mehrunnisa is the first woman Jahangir marries for love, at the ""old"" age of thirty-four. He loves her so deeply that he eventually transfers his powers of sovereignty to her. Power and wealth do not come easily to Mehrunnisa -- she has to fight for them. She has a formidable rival in the imperial harem, Empress Jagat Gosini, who has schemed and plotted against Mehrunnisa from early on. Mehrunnisa's problems do not just lie within the harem walls, but at court, too, as she battles powerful ministers for supremacy. These ministers, who have long had Emperor Jahangir's confidence and trust, consider Mehrunnisa a mere woman who cannot have a voice in the outside world. Mehrunnisa combats all of this by forming a junta of sorts with three men she can rely on -- her father, her brother, and Jahangir's son Prince Khurram. She demonstrates great strength of character and cunning to get what she wants, sometimes at a cost of personal sorrow when she almost loses her daughter's love. But she never loses the love of the man who bestows this power upon her -- Emperor Jahangir. The Feast of Roses is a tale of this power and love, the story of power behind a veil. "
Customer Reviews:
Tami Abdullah.......2007-09-21
A wonderful book. It is hard to put down. Indu is a magnificent writer.
Seductive and intelligent.......2007-08-03
Sundaresan is talented in her craft. She completely seduces the reader with vividly intense writing. She is artful in explaining customs and traditions without being condescending. The reader is enchanted by her storyline of a strong willed woman from tenuous circumstances and follows her like a waft of smoke through Mehrunnisa's path.
The love story is universal, and everyone can relate to the desire and longing for both life and love that the main character pursues, in this case, in the second half of her life. This sequel follows the character and the challenges she continues to face. She is so well created, that we grow to love her, knowing her flaws and admiring her strengths.
Immediately upon finishing the first book, I hunted down this sequel, which was as richly fulfilling as the first book was. I found myself reading the book by this author at every spare moment.
Love, murder, political intrigue..........2007-05-18
The other online reviews of this book are very accurate. This book seems less character driven than The Twentieth Wife. It's quite heavy in descriptive detail, which is sometimes plodding. But, Mehrunnisa's story is fascinating. What's that quote about "nice women don't make history"? She became increasingly ambitious, at times blinded by it, but always centered on her husband's love. Love, murder, political intrigue - what more can a novelist ask for? I enjoyed this very much.
The Feast of Roses.......2007-03-24
This book made me aware of the interesting background of the Indian culture. I feel it was very well written with a lot of detail and information. However, at times there was too much detail and it slowed down the story. The author knows how to weave the facts with an interesting story. I would loan it to a friend.
Exotic Moghul historical novel.......2007-01-09
This book is wonderful, well written and atmospheric. The personal story of Nur Jahan and her rise to power through her marriage to Jahanghir 4th Moghul Emperor in 17th Century India. Indu Sundaresan draws us into another world so vividly: sandalwood and roses, rustle of silk, cool marble floors under our feet, tiger hunts, the intrigue of the Moghul court, the hidden power of the Imperial harem (the Zenana)the circling European powers looking for a foot in the door to the riches of India. This book is a perfect vacation or winter evening read by the fireside. I gave copies of both 20th Wife and Feast of Roses to all the teenage daughters and nieces in my life. Reading this book has prompted to me to search out more historical accounts of the Moghul Imperial rule in India.
Book Description
When Ernest Hemingway committed suicide in 1961 he left four unfinished works--A Moveable Feast, Islands in the Stream, The Garden of Eden, and an untitled work on his travels in Africa. The edited versions that have come down to readers and scholars of Hemingway appear as distinct, disjointed texts that fit oddly into his oeuvre. Through extensive literary detective work Burwell has uncovered substantial evidence that Hemingway in fact designed the three published works as a trilogy, what she terms "his own Portrait of the Artist."
Customer Reviews:
Groundbreaking Study.......2005-09-28
This is the only in-depth scholarly work extant on the mass of unfinished books Hemingway left behind in 1961. Besides that, it is fluidly written, thoroughly documented, thoughtfully analyzed, and excellent in all respects.
It matters not whether or not the thesis -- that the posthumous works constitute a loose unified work -- holds up. To state it and explore it, as the author does, is to cast a lot of light on the very complex issue of Hemingway's last works and their difficult manuscripts. No one had even gone as far as to lay the groundwork for such a question before Burwell. Indeed it was doubtless necessary to proceed on some sort of hypothesis to go through these widely divergent manuscripts chronologically, as the author does, and to then present a coherent text of her own regarding her studies.
The author also has a great openness and sympathy for Hemingway and his tortured, insistent aestheticism. It shines through the entire work and raises it to a very rare level in modern literary criticism.
Book Description
The original Ramayana—a classic tale of war between absolute Good and Evil—was written 3,000 years ago by Valmiki, a reformed thief-turned-sage. Now, with breathtaking imagination, Indian novelist Ashok K. Banker has recreated this epic tale for modern readers everywhere. Rama has quelled the demon invasion and thwarted Ravana, and he has wed the enchanting Sita. But the prince's problems are far from over. For Rama has been challenged by Parshurama—a fabled warrior who has never been defeated. And should he survive, a greater crisis awaits him. With Sita and his brother Lakshman, the prince must travel into the dread forest of Dandaka-van, where he will be pitted against the survivors of Ravana's rakshasa hordes. And in the outlaw settlement of Chitrakut, surrounded by bloodthirsty demons, he must face 14 years of exile.
Customer Reviews:
PLEASE READ THE INDIAN EDITIONS INSTEAD.......2007-07-10
If you are reading my Ramayana series, then I gently urge and request you to please not buy the UK or US editions, even if they're available at bargain prices. Which they probably are, since the publishers there have more or less put the books out of print, due to a lack of interest by non-Indian readers.
The Indian editions are the definitive editions of my work, containing a lengthy Introduction by me titled 'Retelling the Ramayana', which provides an essential perspective on the work, the final versions of all the books--including some small but significant changes, particularly in some book endings--no glossary, thank God, and are generally the best-edited, designed and published versions, in my opinion at least. In short, they're the Author's Preferred Edition, particularly the new hardcover omnibus editions, which represent the story in the way I had originally intended and are truly sumptuous to hold (and behold). Also, significantly, they aren't packaged as 'Fantasy' or 'SF' like the firang ones, which is a ridiculously transparent attempt at cashing in on the commercial success of the fantasy genre a la LoTR and Harry Potter. Please, people, my Ramayana series is a retelling of an epic, and that's exactly what it should be called, 'Epic'. I'd venture to call it 'Itihasa', but even Mythology, which is the label Penguin uses for the books here in India, is acceptable. But certainly not Fantasy as in one of the ubiquitous Tolkien rip-offs that are churned out in droves by western publishers, or even SF, both genres that can sometimes be wonderful in their own right, but are totally inappropriate in the context of an epic that pre-dates Tolkien by some thousands of years, and the entire tradition of western literature as well!
Frankly, I feel so strongly about this that I'd even go so far as to say, if you can't get the Indian editions, then don't read the books! That's why I'm currently in the process of re-acquiring the rights to the US and UK editions and they will soon be out of print everywhere but India. Which is how it ought to be: this is a quintessentially Indian story, written by a contemporary Indian for other contemporary Indians to read. And the Indian editions are really the only way to go.
Ashok K. Banker
[...]
Fact is better than fiction.......2006-05-31
It's good to see the great epics of Ancient India entering into popular culture through such efforts as this. Thank you Ashok for popularising this superb literature. I too (as Krishna Dharma) have made a similar attempt with both this and Mahabharata. These are the most wonderful books imaginable, not just for their tremendous stories, but especially for their spiritual messages, so uplifting and deeply satisfying. Although it is understandable that Ashok has presented his books as fiction, it must be remembered that Ramayana (and Mahabharata) are actual histories to adherents of Hinduism. Of course, many accretions, interpolations and alterations have crept into the texts over the millenia they have been recounted, but still the basic narratives are held as factual by followers of Vedic culture, with both Rama and Krishna being worshipped as full manifestations of the Supreme Lord.
Anyway, five stars to Ashok for bringing this timeless tale to a whole new audience. I hope they are inspired to find out more about the sublime nature and activities of both Rama and Krishna.
Number three rocks!.......2006-05-25
God, Ashok Banker is good! His novels are so amazing, it just too much to describe! Number three sports many important events that originally take place in the myth, like the marriage of Sita and Rama, the encounter between Rama and Parashurama, the exile of Rama, Lakshmana and Sita, and the first meeting with the sly Surphanaka. The characters, every single one of them, is fleshed-out to the extent that you can relate with any of them. The conclusion is just awesome, leaving you ready to devour the next book.
At the precipice of no return..........2006-02-16
Ashok left us stunned by the end of the Siege of Mithila, with the loss of Raama and Lakshmana's supernatural powers, a vast destruction of the demons and it almost seemed that this book would be an anti-climax.
However, Ashok has not belied our faith in his craft and the master craftsman that he is, conjures such a spellbinding book - that we are transported to the incidents themselves. This book is a turning point in the quest, the epic that is the Raamayana and though there are conclusions to questions raised in the previous 2 books - there are completely new questions that come into play.
We see the taunting lines of fate that take our characters where they need to be. We feel for them, we laugh for them, cry for them, feel terror and rebuke - but most of all love them and live them.
To list out the incidents flashing across different places would be too many, and mar the enjoyment of the readers. All I can say is that this book is packed with action, emotion and drama worthy of the epic.
Each character is given new dimensions and especially the women in this book are quite stupendous - displaying all the traits from jealousy to lust, desperation, strength, love, devotion and power - they define the character of the epic and the times.
There are many scenes in this book that draw choked emotions and make you understand who Rama really is. Again, the book ends on a note of such suspense that you cannot wait to lay your hands on the next one.
Great book!.......2006-02-04
I am currently re-re-reading Demons of Chitrakut by Ashok K Banker and wanted to post this review of the same. Well I actually read Ashok’s Ramayana series over and over again, sometimes just a few chapters here and there or some incident or some interesting story of some character…because the books are really good and are so different from other re-tellings of the Ramayana and one would have never read the Ramayana in this style ever before and ofcourse the Ramayana itself is such a timeless and wonderful epic.
Like the previous two books, this one does not fail to hold you captive! Infact for once being held captive is a nice idea. You just don’t want this book to get over!
This 3rd book resumes immediately where Siege of Mithila left us…at the very exciting attack of the demons. The book goes on to describe Rama’s wedding with Sita and the interaction between Rama and Parashurama (one of my favourites).
This is the book in which Rama, Sita and Lakshmana are sent into exile thanks to the manipulated Kaikeyi’s demands of the two boons that were promised to her by Dasaratha. Manthara’s evil ways are finally revealed and she is banished from the Kingdom. Rama, Sita and Lakshmana go to Dandaka-van and a broken hearted Maharaja Dasaratha passes away with Rama’s name on his lips. We then read about Rama’s adventures in the forests with Guha, chief of the hunters and his meeting with Sabari, the tribal woman. It is after her that the Ayyappa temple hill is named Sabarimala in Kerala, and incidently after which I am named!
Rama, Sita and Lakshmana finally settle down at the beautiful and calm Chitrakut hill for their long fourteen year exile, but its not all peace and quiet…
Ashok takes the liberty of adding scenes and incidents to his re-telling (for that is what it is - a re-telling and not a translation), and he does so in a way that supports the central story and he manages to add a lot of background details and descriptions that literally let the reader experience the Ramayana, in Ashok’s own special, wonderful way.
It really sets the mood for further books of the series and is one of my favourite books in the series. A very action packed book with lots of interesting incidents and a definite must read and must have book.
Customer Reviews:
"The Winds of Time" is worth the price of admission........2007-02-18
Just shows that different people like different stories. "The Year of the Quiet Sun" really didn't grab me personally. "There Will Be Time" was a decent story... but by far my favorite from this book was "The Winds of Time," which I thought was an excellent tale, and for which I give the book 5 stars. Based on my review and that of others, if you like this genre, you're almost certainly going to find at least one of these three that you really like.
a good collection.......2001-05-17
Plot synopses:
YEAR OF THE QUIET SUN: U.S. government casts a time machine increasingly further into the future to gather political and demographic data, in an attempt to avert a looming civil conflict.
THE WINDS OF TIME: A spacefaring race crashes a ship on earth in prehistoric times and travel to the future by hibernation, waiting for a civilization to arise with sufficient technoogy to repair their spacecraft.
THERE WILL BE TIME: Random humans are born with the ability to move themselves forward and backward through time purely by mental will. They ally and utterly change the world.
All of these are excellent stories, with THERE WILL BE TIME standing out as the best of the three. Anderson beats the stuffing out of the time travel theme, as Alfred Bester did for telepaths in THE DEMOLISHED MAN. Not only do the characters jump between historical periods, they also find interesting uses for jumps of a few minutes forward or backward. Babies time travel with surprising results. THERE WILL BE TIME is very well thought out and worth the price of the book alone.
winds of time.......1998-02-04
this is one I read more that once. Startling now, how well Oliver portrays both the emptiness and boredom of 1950's middle class life and how well he gets us to fell the sense of loss among human like aliens whose spaceship crashes on Earth..all in the course of a really good story. Don't miss it!
Excellent.......1997-08-09
Three very different tales, each excellent in its own way. Shows the versatility of the time travel idea. Interesting how gloomy these authors thought the future (in some cases, our day) would be
Product Description
The 1st American Cookie Lady is based on the 76-page, handwritten cookie diary of Anna "Cookie" Covington, who recorded 208 different cookie recipes between 1917 and 1920. Intended as a gift for one of her children, it's a mystery why her cookie diary was never used and eventually fell into the hands of one very grateful Barbara Swell. Barbara presents Anna's recipes exactly as they appear in the original diary and also adds helpful tips and hints on baking, updates for many of the recipes, fun cookie poems, baking superstitions, and over 150 photos and illustrations.
Customer Reviews:
Fantastic.......2005-10-22
Utilizing recipes from a diary that Anna Covington (from 1917 - 1920) created to share with her children, Barbara Swell has authored another book adding pieces of history, art and updating some of the recipes, The 1st American Cookie Lady: Recipes From a 1917 Cookie Diary!
Another book filled with black and white photos of people of its time, advertisements selling hair products, lore and tips. I have to say, when I read Swell's books, I feel like I am living in the early 20th century! This book even advises you on how to take care of your family with food shortages from World War I!
There are several tradional recipes, as well as some old-time recipes that most of us have either not heard of before, or have long forgotten. You will find recipes for Rock Cookies, Molasses Cookies, Snickerdoodles and Wine Jumbles!
If you know of anyone looking for Grandma's cookie recipe, check this book out! If the recipe is not in there, I am sure you will find several in there that you will love!
An excellent dessert cookbook filled with recipes that survive the test of time with flying colors.......2005-09-10
The 1st American Cookie Lady: Recipes from a 1917 Cookie Diary offers all 208 recipes of Anna "Cookie" Covington, first recorded between 1917 and 1920. Classic and tasty cookie recipes range from Sand Tarts to Snickerdoodles, Fig Bars, Coconut Jumples, Maple Brandy Snaps and more. In addition , The 1st American Cookie Lady offers a host of fascinating cookie trivia tidbits, including vintage art and photographs, baking superstitions, the story of women's suffrage and cookies, cookie poems, WW I food shortage recipes, and much more. An excellent dessert cookbook filled with recipes that survive the test of time with flying colors.
Average customer rating:
- A Visit to Germany thru words
|
In the Land of Hummel: Traditional Bavarian Life
Kathleen Saal
Manufacturer: Portfolio Press (NY)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 Furniture
| Antiques & Collectibles
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Antiques & Collectibles
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
Glass & Glassware
| Antiques & Collectibles
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
Reference & Tips
| Travel
| Subjects
| Books
| Beaches
| Business Travel
| Cruises
| Essays & Travelogues
| Food & Lodging
| Guidebooks
| Pictorial
| Reference
| Spas
| Tips
| Tourist Destinations & Museums
| Travel Writing
General
| Germany
| Europe
| History
| Subjects
| Books
Ceramics
| Other Media
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0942620283 |
Customer Reviews:
A Visit to Germany thru words.......2000-10-23
This book has taken me to germany where my ancestors came from. I myself have never been there but the author Kathleen Saal makes you feel like you have visited in the time period of our great grandparents. It is obvious that the Author has done alot of research for this book. She brought to life a time period of simpler times and showed us some fabulous German traditions. Learning about Berta Hummel's Homeland is inspiring to all who collect Hummels. The craftsmanship in Germany from the Hummels, to the Wood boxes and Wooden Creche are very refreshing in this day and age of mass production. I highly recommend this book to not only those who collect Hummels but also those who are from Germany or share roots there. I'm sure Kathleen Saal will tell even German people about traditions in Germany they didn't even know about.
Book Description
Create a sparkling Star quilt and matching accessories with stellar precision! Foolproof techniques from popular author Roxanne Carter make these projects easy and fun.
• Make the main sampler quilt in lap, queen, or king sizes; directions are provided for all.
• Choose from whip-it-up-quick accents including a wall quilt, table runner, and quilting tote.
• Rotary cut and machine piece fourteen 12" Star blocks--no fussing with set-in seams!
Book Description
Each volume in the 101 Homes series is filled with inspirational and creative design ideas that will enliven your home without hurting your budget.
Each book in the 101 Homes series offers 101 great design ideas with full-color photos, and contains a directory of useful suppliers, with web addresses. 101 Finishing Touches puts the expert knowledge of an army of stylists into the hands of the home decorator, and provides a wide range of insider secrets with simple instructions to get the ideas off the page and into the home. Carefully divided by project type into 10 sections, each project is supported with a beautiful color photograph, a list of what's needed and easy-to-follow instructions. 101 Ideas for Downstairs presents details on every step of decorating living rooms, dining rooms and kitchens. It's filled with valuable insights into choosing colors, mixing patterns and being creative with lighting and finishing touches. There's something about bedrooms and bathrooms that gives people the confidence to be a little daring and experimental, and 101 Ideas for Upstairs is filled with in-depth advice on how to create a look you'll love. 101 Flower Arrangements is packed with stylish, creative and, above all, easy ideas for everything from combining different color and flower shapes to making the best use of vases. A special section covers quick and easy ideas that can be achieved in under five minutes.
Customer Reviews:
A Little Bitty Book.......2006-02-22
Just wanted everyone to know that the books in this 101 series are all very small books. They are about 6" x 6" in size. I had planned on ordering all of the series, but because I found this one used on Amazon, I decided to see if I liked it first.
The books is laid out by having the text on the left page that describes the room that is pictured on the right page. Because of the book's small size, it is difficult to see some of the details of the photos and many of the rooms cannot be seen in it's entirety. For example, in some of the bedroom photos, it shows the linens, bed, and part of the window, but you might not see the detail of the top of curtains.
The text that describes the rooms can be very helpful. There are a few sentences about "The Look", colors used, beds, linens, window, furniture and accessories. Some pages include paragraphs on walls, storage, tiling and other features about the specific room.
I did like many of the design ideas in the book, but some don't work. For example, there is a child's dinosaur room on page 114. The walls are a VERY bright orange. There is a handmade crib. The text says the crib is unique and eyecatching and was treated with a purple stain so it could stand out. I'm sorry, the crib is totally lost in that room with all the bright colors. The huge yellow and red dinosaur and orange walls were the first thing I saw when I looked at this room, I didn't even notice the features on the crib until after reading the text. That was one of the misses, but there were mostly hits.
I understand that this is a way to market a book (small, portable size), BUT I think it's small size compromises the potential of this book. Even if it was say a 6x9, that would make the features in the room easier to see for those who may be somewhat visually challenged. I would say 3.5 stars for this book.
Average customer rating:
|
Signos - Simbolos - Marcas - Senales
Manufacturer: Editorial Gustavo Gili
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Architecture
| Professional & Technical
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Drawing & Modelling
| Architecture
| Professional & Technical
| Subjects
| Books
Spanish
| Foreign Language Nonfiction
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
Dibujo
| Diseño Gráfico
| Arte, arquitectura y fotografía
| Libros en español
| Formats
| Books
No-Ficción
| Libros en español
| Formats
| Books
| Automotriz
| Ciencias Sociales
| Crimen y Criminales
| Educación
| Estudios de la Mujer
| Feriados
| Filosofía
| Gobierno
| Hechos Verídicos
| Planeamiento Urbano y Desarrollo
| Política
| Sucesos de Actualidad
| Transportación
Dibujo y Modelismo
| Arquitectura
| Profesional y Técnico
| Libros en español
| Formats
| Books
General
| Arquitectura
| Profesional y Técnico
| Libros en español
| Formats
| Books
ASIN: 8425220858 |
Average customer rating:
|
Tex Ritter: America's Most Beloved Cowboy
Bill O'Neal
Manufacturer: Eakin Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Country & Folk
| Composers & Musicians
| Arts & Literature
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
Entertainers
| Arts & Literature
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Music
| Entertainment
| Subjects
| Books
Bluegrass
| Musical Genres
| Music
| Entertainment
| Subjects
| Books
Country
| Musical Genres
| Music
| Entertainment
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Performing Arts
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 157168249X |
Books:
- The Fish Can Sing
- The Garlic Ballads: A Novel
- The Girlfriends Club: A Novel
- The Kagonesti (Dragonlance Lost Histories, Vol. 1)
- The Last Christmas of Ebenezer Scrooge: The Sequel to A Christmas Carol
- The Last Voyage of Somebody the Sailor
- The Latest Bombshell A Novel
- The Lion's Skin
- The Logic of a Rose: Chicago Stories
- The Man Who Created Paradise: A Fable (Ohio Bicentennial)
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- Westies: From Head to Tail
- The Paper Bag Princess
- Recombinant DNA Methodology II
- The Dive From Clausen's Pier: A Novel
- The Draw 50 Way: How to Draw Cats, Puppies, Horses, Buildings, Birds, Aliens, Boats, Trains and Ever
- The Prince
- The Conscientious Marine Aquarist: A Commonsense Handbook for Successful Saltwater Hobbyists
- Looking Closer 5: Critical Writings on Graphic Design
- The Artist's Complete Guide to Facial Expression
- The Labours of Hercules: 12 Hercule Poirot Mysteries
The Twentieth Wife: A Novel
The Splendor of Silence: A Novel
Beneath a Marble Sky
The House of Blue Mangoes: A Novel
Bombay Time: A Novel
