47. Beneath a Marble Sky

47. Beneath a Marble Sky by John Shors (2/12/2012 - 2/18/2012)

I thoroughly enjoyed this book.  It wasn't particularly deep, more of a romantic romp through the history of the Taj Mahal intermixed with the horrors of living in the 17th century in India.  But that lack of depth is overshadowed by beautiful prose and, really, a simple and beautiful story.

The plot focuses on the life of Jahanara, the daughter of the famous lovers Mumtaz Mahal and Shah Jahan, who was the ruler of India at the time, and her relationship with Isa, the creator of the Taj Mahal.  The story spans the death of Mumtaz Mahal, which inspired Shah Jahan to commission this gorgeous building, through the Taj Mahal's completion and the aftermath of Shah Jahan's death.  The turbulence of the years after his reign are hinted at through the mysterious nature of endpieces of the novel, but the novel itself is quietly beautiful.  Shors' prose is calm and simple, painting images in your mind that are almost as detailed as the Taj Mahal itself.  Jahanara is a compelling female character, challenging the ideas of her time while dealing with constant threats due to her personal relationships with her husband, her lover, and her power-hungry brother.

The book is a love story overall, but it's not just the love story of Jahanara; it's the love story between Mumtaz and her husband, between her husband and the building of the Taj Mahal, and the love among a family that can't be together.