Gita Mehta : Raj

Takakansi

Born a princess of the Royal House of Balmer, Jaya Singh is torn between the traditions of her upbringing and the ideals of the Mahatma, as India draws inexorably towards the bloody struggle for independence from the British Raj.

To fulfil her role as the guardian of her people, Jaya must first win her own freedom - then lead her kingdom through the treacherous changes of history to the moment when palace and country will triumph over destiny.

'A fascinating, a brilliant portrait of a woman coming of age amidst the splendour and misery of an Indian princely court as India herself comes of age toward independence. It is compelling reading, as history and fiction.'
MARIO PUZO

'The best work of historical fiction from the pen of an Indian writer'
INDIA TODAY

'Mehta's talent is as sharp as a laser beam'
SUNDAY TIMES

'Richly decorated and densely worked ... oversewn like a length of brocade with sex, landscape, polo, politics, tragedy'
OBSERVER

'Raj is a treasure-trove of information that never turns encyclopedic - Gita Mehta is such a natural storyteller'
WASHINGTON POST

Esittely

THE BOOK: The triumphant story of one woman and her nation, Gita Mehta's best selling first novel takes us through the history of modern India in the years leading up to Independence. Jaya Singh is born into the old, princely India and stands as a living symbol of the changes the continent struggles to make to bring itself in line with the 20th century whilst still clinging to the richness and the colour of her past. Epic, immensely readable: 'a more important book than Jewel in the crown' - Daily Mail