Rebel Queen - Michelle Moran

Author: Michelle Moran

Publisher: Atria Books

Publication Date: March 3, 2015

Rating: 4/5

(This review is part of the #BookReviewBlogChallenge organised by 

Great New Reads

Day 05, Prompt: Rebel)

About the book:

When the British Empire sets its sights on India in the mid-nineteenth century, it expects a quick and easy conquest. India is fractured and divided into kingdoms, each independent and wary of one another, seemingly no match for the might of the English. But when they arrive in the Kingdom of Jhansi, the British army is met with a surprising challenge.

Instead of surrendering, Queen Lakshmi raises two armies - one male and one female - and rides into battle, determined to protect her country and her people. Although her soldiers may not appear at first to be formidable against superior British weaponry and training, Lakshmi refuses to back down from the empire that is determined to take away the land she loves.

Told from the unexpected perspective of Sita - Queen Lakshmi's most favoured companion and most trusted soldier in the all-female army - Rebel Queen shines a light on a time and place rarely explored in historical fiction. In the tradition of her best-selling novel, Nefertiti, and through her strong, independent heroines fighting to make their ways in a male-dominated world, Michelle Moran brings nineteenth-century India to rich, vibrant life.

Review:

      Rani of Jhansi is one of the prominent figures in India's First War of Independence, commonly called Sepoy Mutiny by the British. In a political realm infested with men, she was the only female representative and so, of course, she has become a beacon of gender equality in ancient India. Surely, we learn a lot about her through textbooks, but Michelle Moran produces a different side to this brave, kind queen.

      The novel follows the perspective of Sita, one of the members of her Durga Dal, an elite group of female soldiers dedicated to protect and fight for the Rani. Sita's story gives us a glimpse of what happens outside the castle walls -- her troubled childhood, the almost escape from prostitution, savagery of the British soldiers . . . obviously, there is nothing idyllic about this story. 

     What goes on inside the fort is equally pitiable. A King interested only in the arts, leaving the reigns of administration to his queen (which is a wise decision since Rani Lakshmi is more than capable in this regard). The author also insinuates that the king is gay, a previously unknown fact to me. This affects Rani's position in society since a queen who cannot conceive opens an opportunity to others, including the British.

     Sita says she is writing her story, under the persuasion of her English friend, to show that Indian traditions are important too. I don't know how much she was successful in this regard since the picture of India the novel provides is far from favourable. Well, that is something to be expected when a non-Indian tries to represent the country. But in spite of her limitations as a foreigner, Michelle Moran has produced an outstanding historical novel.

Meet the author:

Michelle Moran is the international bestselling author of six historical novels, including Madame Tussaud, which was optioned for a mini-series in 2011. Her books have been translated into more than twenty languages.

A native of southern California, Michelle attended Pomona College, then earned a Masters Degree from the Claremont Graduate University. During her six years as a public high school teacher, she used her summers to travel around the world, and it was her experiences as a volunteer on archaeological digs that inspired her to write historical fiction.

In 2012 Michelle was married in India, inspiring her seventh book, Rebel Queen, which is set in the East. Her hobbies include hiking, travelling, and archaeology. She is also fascinated by archaeogenetics, particularly since her children's heritages are so mixed. But above all these things, Michelle is passionate about reading, and can often be found with her nose in a good book. A frequent traveller, she currently resides with her husband, son, and daughter in the US.