PUBLISHED BY HARPER COLLINS
“The Last Queen” is the tale of Rani Jindan, the queen of the ‘Lion of Punjab’ Maharaja Ranjit Singh and mother of the last king of Punjab, Maharaja Dalip Singh.
Rising from the ranks of a commoner to being the queen of Punjab, her story is one of courage, fear, treachery and despair.
Written in the first person narrative, the book, based on true-life events, brings to life the story of a queen seemingly forgotten on the pages of history.
From being a dog trainer’s daughter, she captures the heart of Maharaja Ranjit Singh and goes on to lead a tumultuous life in the face of the British coming to India and the machinations of the royal court. After the demise of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, her story progresses into bravery and defiance. She shuns the purdah system to take an active part in the court to preserve the throne for her son Maharaj Dalip Singh from the British.
But she is helpless in the face of British imperialism. Separated from her son by the British, the book narrates her despondent journey from a queen to a destitute left to the mercy of fate and pity. When she daringly escapes across the rough terrain of the Himalayas into Kathmandu for refuge, the valiant journey reflects her immense courage to travel the difficult and unexplored to safety with the only hope of being united with her son one day.
A fiery woman who makes every effort to save her kingdom and her son’s throne from the British, the book recounts her tale of being a royal queen and a regal mother.
I have previously read ‘The Palace of Illusions’ by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, and it remains one of my favourites. The author has once again brought history to life in painstaking detail. The ambience, the grandeur, food, customs, etc.
Her writing style is so vivid and intimate that one can feel the story and its characters. I enjoyed reading this book and would strongly recommend it to those who enjoy historical fiction.
Preeta Chag 