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" Walaupun buku ini merupakan sebuah cerita fiksi, tapi menggambarkan latar belakang sejarah yang sangat akurat. Menggambarkan ketika inggris masih bercokol di daratan India. Hingga sampai akhirnya India (dan pakistan) berada pada ujung kemerdekaannya. Dibumbui dengan cerita pertautan hati antara sang Maharani dengan sahabatnya sejak kecil, sayangnya perbedaan ras (yang satu ningrat india, sementara yang lain adalah pejabat Inggris) menghalangi mereka. Perjalanan Maharani dari sejak kecil, kemudian kehilangan kakaknya, ibu dan ayah, hingga akhirnya ditinggal suaminya sangat menarik disimak. Karena setiap momen dibubuhi latar belakang sejarah yang kuat. Sehingga anda tidak hanya mendapatkan cerita fiksi, tapi juga pelajaran sejarah pada saat yang sama. :) "
- Sha, 1/23/2014
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" I am finding this fascinating. There is so much that I don't know about history that a novel like this one is interesting and full of surprises. "
- Laura, 1/21/2014
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" I read this book years ago, but remember being engrossed. It's a cool piece of historical fiction set in in the time of the British Raj in India. "
- Pallavi, 1/16/2014
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" read it before, and not good enough to read twice "
- John, 12/1/2013
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" I read this one just before the honeymoon to India, Thanks Sandra for a geat recomendation! When in India picked up a biography of one of Indias real life princesses called "A Princess Remembers" Also a great book to give you an incite as to what it might be like to have actually lived that life. "
- Nancy, 12/1/2013
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" beautiful story, read it when i visited India for the first time, and saw the places she is telling about. enchanting and sad. "
- Magda, 11/25/2013
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" Een andere blik op de geschiedenis van India "
- Kruip, 11/21/2013
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" Wow. This difficult to get through even though I found it really interesting. "
- Joanna, 11/7/2013
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" A great picture of the height of luxury in India at the turn of the last century...she really did live in a gilded cage.. "
- Alexandra, 10/27/2013
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" I like the sweep of Indian history but it really bogged down in some places where the POV character got in the way. "
- Chanpheng, 10/21/2013
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" Read in a group with Shantaram and The Namesake. This one gave me a great perspective on the others, but I doubt I would've liked it much on its own. "
- Karen, 10/8/2013
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" Nicely done. I liked it so much the first time, I read it again immediately and liked it just as much!! "
- Laura, 9/12/2013
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" A sheer delight... Brilliant in writing, rich in history, compelling in narrative. Gita Mehta shows u India as nobody else. This goes in my top 5 books of all times. "
- Niharika, 8/27/2013
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" I loved this book. It gave me a completely different perspective of the hellish lives of other non-whites of the world. It is both tragic and inspirational. "
- Ej, 7/11/2013
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" Learned lots about India culture and history. The story was somewhat unsatisfying in the end. "
- Lisa, 11/18/2012
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" I read this book a couple of years back and the best I can recall is that I really enjoyed it as it. Loved the historical aspect and depections of life during that time in India. "
- Joyce, 10/9/2012
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" Poorly drawn, cliched characters. Textbook-ish history. Lots of royal Jewellery, attire, and rituals. Not a very good read. "
- Phani, 9/19/2012
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" a good beach book, but honestly not the greatest work of south asian fiction, religious or otherwise. "
- Melanie, 9/14/2012
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" Amazing! I must agree with an earlier reviewer, some chapters tested my will, but then completely made up for it in the long run in such a masterpiece! I enjoyed the overall impression of this novel. In fact it's one of the novels that I absolutely enjoyed! "
- Goldie, 8/14/2012
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" Great book that make you dive into fantastic imagination of exotic Indian Harem at the turn of the centuries. You get to follow the live of a princess since her birth to the day she become a great modern women. "
- Fawnxiaoyu, 7/14/2012
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" Almost historical! Love the deeper understanding of Indian royalty- the weight of duty and how closely it may equal love. "
- Diane, 3/10/2012
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" I recommend this book to people who are interested in learning about the history of India. The story itself wasn't enough to keep me going, but reading about the real history of Ghandi etc. made me finish the book. "
- Emily, 3/8/2012
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" My favorite books of all time, I would recommend it everyone! "
- Wajeeha, 12/11/2011
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" I am really enjoying this book. I happened by it in the library. Score! "
- Kristen, 11/20/2011
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" A bit uneven. Some chapters were really good, some seemed to drag on forever. It does span the entire life of the main charachter (a little girl-to queen-to displaced queen once the British invade) and Lord knows I love a chronological story. "
- Angeline, 10/18/2011
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" Great book, compelling story with an amazing heroine who is a survivor and creates a life for herself despite the fact that she is trapped in a world where very few options are available to her. "
- Rachna, 8/12/2011
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" This historical novel fails both as a novel and as history. The narrative catalogs the momentous events in India from roughly 1900-1950 in the most rote way possible, while the main character is unconvincingly drawn. "
- Nora, 6/8/2011
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" I read this book years ago, but remember being engrossed. It's a cool piece of historical fiction set in in the time of the British Raj in India.
"
- Pallavi, 5/5/2011
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" Wow. This difficult to get through even though I found it really interesting.
"
- Joanna, 5/3/2011
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" A sheer delight... Brilliant in writing, rich in history, compelling in narrative. Gita Mehta shows u India as nobody else. This goes in my top 5 books of all times.
"
- Niharika, 3/21/2011
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" read it before, and not good enough to read twice
"
- John, 9/26/2010
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" Read in a group with Shantaram and The Namesake. This one gave me a great perspective on the others, but I doubt I would've liked it much on its own.
"
- Karen, 7/23/2009
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" Not sure why I stuck it out. The first 400 pages should have been cut to 100 max; the last 80 pages could have been doubled. Lots of good history but somehow lacking depth of character...
"A River Sutra" seems to be written by a more seasoned author.
"
- Lesandre, 4/29/2009
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" My favorite books of all time, I would recommend it everyone!
"
- Wajeeha, 4/29/2009
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" I am really enjoying this book. I happened by it in the library. Score!
"
- Kristen, 11/19/2008
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" Great book, compelling story with an amazing heroine who is a survivor and creates a life for herself despite the fact that she is trapped in a world where very few options are available to her.
"
- Rachna, 10/13/2008
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" Amazing! I must agree with an earlier reviewer, some chapters tested my will, but then completely made up for it in the long run in such a masterpiece! I enjoyed the overall impression of this novel. In fact it's one of the novels that I absolutely enjoyed!
"
- Goldie, 9/14/2008
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" This historical novel fails both as a novel and as history. The narrative catalogs the momentous events in India from roughly 1900-1950 in the most rote way possible, while the main character is unconvincingly drawn.
"
- Nora, 9/11/2008
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" Almost historical! Love the deeper understanding of Indian royalty- the weight of duty and how closely it may equal love.
"
- Diane, 8/2/2008
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" I loved this book. It gave me a completely different perspective of the hellish lives of other non-whites of the world. It is both tragic and inspirational.
"
- Ej, 3/13/2008
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" A bit uneven. Some chapters were really good, some seemed to drag on forever. It does span the entire life of the main charachter (a little girl-to queen-to displaced queen once the British invade) and Lord knows I love a chronological story.
"
- Angeline, 1/31/2008
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" Great book that make you dive into fantastic imagination of exotic Indian Harem at the turn of the centuries. You get to follow the live of a princess since her birth to the day she become a great modern women.
"
- Fawnxiaoyu, 1/7/2008
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" a good beach book, but honestly not the greatest work of south asian fiction, religious or otherwise.
"
- Melanie, 11/21/2007
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