Twentieth Wife

Mehrunnisa - the Sun of Women - one of India's most legendary and controversial empresses... a woman who overcame insurmountable obstacles through sheer brilliance and determination ... whose love shaped the course of the Mughal Empire. She is the twentieth wife.The daughter of refugees from Persia, growing up on the fringes of Emperor Akbars opulent palace grounds, Mehrunnisa first encounters Prince Salim on his wedding day. Eight years old at the time, she decides she too will one day become Salirn's wife - unaware of the great price she and her family will pay for this dream.Skilfully blending the textures of history with the rich imaginings of a fairy tale, The Twentieth Wife sweeps readers up in the emotional pageant of Salim and Mehrunnisas embattled love. From an ill-fated first marriage through motherhood and into a dangerous maze of power struggles and political machinations, Mehrunnisa searches for the true redemptive love she has never known. Their quest takes Mehrunnisa and Salim, and the vast empire that hangs in the balance, to places they have never dreamed possible.About The Author Indu Sundaresan was born in New Delhi and brought up on Air Force bases around India. She began writing fiction after graduate degrees in. the US in economics and operations research. She is the author of five books so far: The Twentieth Wife, The Feast of Roses, In the Convent of Little Flowers, The Splendor of Silence and Shadow Princess. Indu's work has been translated into twenty-two languages.PrologueThe wind howled and swept down, almost ripping the tent flap from its seams. Frigid air elbowed in, sending arctic fingers d