BOOK REVIEW : THE MULBERRY COURTESAN
Author : Sikeena Karmali
Genre : Historical Fiction
Set in the backdrop of the uprising of 1857, it is the story of an Afghani girl,Laale, kidnapped from her own courtyard and sold to Bahadur Shah Zafar's court during the last days of the Mughal empire. It is a coming of age story. Laale,a fictional character is so well entwined among characters representing real people that I had to check my facts about the downfall of Mughal empire.
The sub-plots are very well executed that not for once did I get confused. Conspiracy, politics, love and freedom are some of the plots of the book.
The writing is smooth, and kept me hooked till the end. The experience of reading this book was no less than watching a historical fiction movie. The reason it wasn't a five star read for me is that right in the middle when the main plot was being executed, the pace slowed down a lot, and it took a while for it to pick up again.
I can not stop talking about the way Karmali has executed the qawwali sessions and poetry in the book, while reading them I was transported to the court of Bahadur Shah Zafar.
I would definitely recommend this book to all readers who like reading historical fiction especially Indian historical fiction, this book is one of it's kind.
My Verdict : 4/5
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