Jahanara: Princess of Princesses, India, 1627

This is a story of royalty in pre-British India, at a time when it was ruled under its own people. The country was still divided into Muslim and Hindu, something which tended to result in problems in that time and even in the present time. How hate-filled some people can become in the name of their religion does not seem to have changed at all over time.

As often happens in stories of royalty, there is love, loss, betrayal, hate and pretty much everything else going on. There is also some unusual customs, such as Jahanara having to remain behind screens so she can't be seen by non-royal people. There are different foods, also, and riding by elephant is not something you see every day, either.

This all makes this a good book to learn about a different culture than our own, one not necessarily brought up in the "western traditions" that most of the other books in the series are based on.

It's also, basically, the story of a young girl who has to find a way to deal with a world that has a lot of demands on her as far as her behavior and personal feelings go. That she triumphs despite all the dangers and hardships shows how strong of a person she really was.

As always, there's a historical section with lots of photos, and a glossary of Indian terms. Another good book in the series.

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