Book Description
In the seventeenth century, Emperor Shah Jahan, overwhelmed by grief after the death of Mumtaz Mahal, his beloved wife, pledges to create the grandest tribute to love the world has ever seen. The stunning Princess Jahanara, the Emperors eldest daughter, is to oversee the construction of this architectural masterpiece. Even as the monument is being built, Jahanara falls in love with Ustad Isa, the celebrated architect of the Taj Mahal. But theirs is an ill-fated romance that must remain furtive.
In an aching narration, Princess Jahanara recounts her parents epic love story and her own courageous attempt to keep love alive amidst religious fundamentalism, fratricidal wars and the murky politics of the Mughal court.
Lyrical, brilliantly imagined, and sweeping in its breadth, Beneath a Marble Sky is historical fiction at its best.
About the Author
After graduating from Colorado College, John Shors lived for several years in Kyoto, Japan, where he taught English. On a shoestring budget, he later trekked across Asia, visiting ten countries and climbing the Himalayas. After returning to the United States, he became a newspaper reporter in his hometown, Des Moines, Iowa, winning several statewide awards in journalism. Now a full-time novelist in Boulder, Colorado, John spends his days writing and going on family outings with his wife, Allison, and their two young children, Sophie and Jack.
Johns novels, Beneath a Marble Sky, Beside a Burning Sea, Dragon House, The Wishing Trees, Cross Currents, and Temple of a Thousand Faces have won multiple awards and have been translated into twenty-five languages.
