Beneath A Marble Sky by John Shors – 368 pages

Journey to dazzling seventeenth-century Hindustan, where the reigning emperor, consumed with grief over the tragic death of his beloved wife, commissions the building of the Taj Mahal as a testament to the marvel of their love. Princess Jahanara, their courageous daughter, recounts their mesmerizing tale, while sharing her own parallel tale of forbidden love with the celebrated architect of the Taj Mahal. This impressive novel sweeps readers away to a historical Hindustan brimming with action and intrigue in an era when, alongside the brutalities of war and oppression, architecture and the art of love and passion reached a pinnacle of perfection.

What a great story told by a master story teller! Multi-faceted characters based on a historical romance which led to the building of the Taj Mahal is the basis for this book. Told by Princess Jahanara, this author writes in the female voice like a pro. When he called into our book club, I had to ask him about his views/history on romance because he wrote it like he was living inside a woman in love at the euphoric period of a new relationship. This book will literally take you to India as you’ve never been before and take you on an emotionally fulfilling ride.

-“Many fear death. But I do not. For I’ve tasted the oneness we call love. Death cannot steal it. Nor temper it. No, I’ll take my love with me, wherever I travel. And it shall endure.”