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Audiobooks > Fiction >  Literary > Raj
Raj Audiobook, by Gita Mehta Play Audiobook Sample

Download Raj Audiobook

3 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 5 (3.00) - 309 customer ratings
Raj Audiobook, by Gita Mehta Play Audiobook Sample
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Author: Gita Mehta Narrator: Wanda McCaddon Publisher: Blackstone Publishing Audio Length: Release Date: August 1999 Format: Unabridged Audiobook Delivery: Instant Download ISBN: 9781433245336
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Publisher Description

Raj is the remarkable story of a woman of royal birth coming of age during India’s fight for independence. Jaya Singh, the intelligent, beautiful and compassionate daughter of the Maharajah and Maharani of Balmer, has been raised in the thousand-year-old tradition of purdah, a strict regime of seclusion, silence and submission. But with the premature death of her decadent, Westernized husband, Jaya must assume the role of Regent Maharani of Sirpur. She soon finds herself thrust into the center of a roiling political battle in which the future of the kingdom is at stake—it is a conflict that will force Jaya to realize her future as a leader of the Indian people in her own right.

With rare subtlety, impressive scope, and a keen eye for detail, Mehta lays bare the complexities of Indian culture and tradition as few foreigners ever experience them. Her epic is a powerful, enlightening, and finally, ennobling story of a nation struggling to be born.

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Quotes

  • “Mehta’s talent is as sharp as a laser beam.”

    - Sunday Times (London)

  • “The rich background detail is engrossing.”

    - Publishers Weekly

  • “Nadia May colors the novel with her amazing Indian dialects. Recalling the novel, one still hears the varied voices and the energy behind each. She leaves pictures in the listener’s mind.”

    - AudioFile

  • “At last, a historical that takes a fresh perspective on India under the British Raj…This shines both with moments of intimate poignancy, and a sense of the sweep of Indian affairs. An engrossing read, and strong first novel.”

    - Kirkus Reviews

Awards

  • Winner of the AudioFile Earphones Award in 2000

Customer Reviews

Write a Review
  • Overall Performance: 5 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 5

    " 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
  • Overall Performance: 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5

    " 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
  • Overall Performance: 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5

    " 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
  • Overall Performance: 2 out of 52 out of 52 out of 52 out of 52 out of 5

    " read it before, and not good enough to read twice "

    - John, 12/1/2013
  • Overall Performance: 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5

    " 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
  • Overall Performance: 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5

    " 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
  • Overall Performance: 3 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 5

    " Een andere blik op de geschiedenis van India "

    - Kruip, 11/21/2013
  • Overall Performance: 3 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 5

    " Wow. This difficult to get through even though I found it really interesting. "

    - Joanna, 11/7/2013
  • Overall Performance: 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5

    " 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
  • Overall Performance: 3 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 5

    " 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
  • Overall Performance: 3 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 5

    " 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
  • Overall Performance: 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5

    " 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
  • Overall Performance: 5 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 5

    " 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
  • Overall Performance: 5 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 5

    " 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
  • Overall Performance: 3 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 5

    " Learned lots about India culture and history. The story was somewhat unsatisfying in the end. "

    - Lisa, 11/18/2012
  • Overall Performance: 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5

    " 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
  • Overall Performance: 2 out of 52 out of 52 out of 52 out of 52 out of 5

    " Poorly drawn, cliched characters. Textbook-ish history. Lots of royal Jewellery, attire, and rituals. Not a very good read. "

    - Phani, 9/19/2012
  • Overall Performance: 2 out of 52 out of 52 out of 52 out of 52 out of 5

    " a good beach book, but honestly not the greatest work of south asian fiction, religious or otherwise. "

    - Melanie, 9/14/2012
  • Overall Performance: 5 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 5

    " 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
  • Overall Performance: 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5

    " 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
  • Overall Performance: 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5

    " Almost historical! Love the deeper understanding of Indian royalty- the weight of duty and how closely it may equal love. "

    - Diane, 3/10/2012
  • Overall Performance: 2 out of 52 out of 52 out of 52 out of 52 out of 5

    " 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
  • Overall Performance: 5 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 5

    " My favorite books of all time, I would recommend it everyone! "

    - Wajeeha, 12/11/2011
  • Overall Performance: 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5

    " I am really enjoying this book. I happened by it in the library. Score! "

    - Kristen, 11/20/2011
  • Overall Performance: 3 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 5

    " 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
  • Overall Performance: 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5

    " 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
  • Overall Performance: 1 out of 51 out of 51 out of 51 out of 51 out of 5

    " 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
  • Overall Performance: 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5

    " 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
  • Overall Performance: 3 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 5

    " Wow. This difficult to get through even though I found it really interesting. "

    - Joanna, 5/3/2011
  • Overall Performance: 5 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 5

    " 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
  • Overall Performance: 2 out of 52 out of 52 out of 52 out of 52 out of 5

    " read it before, and not good enough to read twice "

    - John, 9/26/2010
  • Overall Performance: 3 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 5

    " 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
  • Overall Performance: 2 out of 52 out of 52 out of 52 out of 52 out of 5

    " 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
  • Overall Performance: 5 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 5

    " My favorite books of all time, I would recommend it everyone! "

    - Wajeeha, 4/29/2009
  • Overall Performance: 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5

    " I am really enjoying this book. I happened by it in the library. Score! "

    - Kristen, 11/19/2008
  • Overall Performance: 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5

    " 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
  • Overall Performance: 5 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 5

    " 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
  • Overall Performance: 1 out of 51 out of 51 out of 51 out of 51 out of 5

    " 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
  • Overall Performance: 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5

    " Almost historical! Love the deeper understanding of Indian royalty- the weight of duty and how closely it may equal love. "

    - Diane, 8/2/2008
  • Overall Performance: 5 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 5

    " 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
  • Overall Performance: 3 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 5

    " 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
  • Overall Performance: 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5

    " 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
  • Overall Performance: 2 out of 52 out of 52 out of 52 out of 52 out of 5

    " a good beach book, but honestly not the greatest work of south asian fiction, religious or otherwise. "

    - Melanie, 11/21/2007

About the Author

Gita Mehta is the author of numerous bestselling books, including Karma Cola, A River Sutra, and Snakes and Ladders.

About the Narrator

Wanda McCaddon (a.k.a. Nadia May or Donada Peters) has narrated well over six hundred titles for major audiobook publishers, has earned numerous Earphones Awards, and was named a Golden Voice by AudioFile magazine.