The Mountain of Light: A Novel
The Kohinoor diamond, called the Mountain of Light, is a 105-carat gem people would kill to possess. Sundaresan (Shadow Princess, 2010) tells the fascinating story of how the diamond travels from the hands of the king of Afghanistan to the arm of Queen Victoria during the early years of India’s colonization by the British. The novel opens with Shah Shuja, the deposed Afghan monarch, promising the Kohinoor diamond to the ruler of Punjab, Ranjit Singh, in exchange for helping him to reclaim his throne. Ranjit then holds tightly to the diamond and his kingdom for the next 20-plus years. After Ranjit’s death, the diamond is possessed by one son after another as each is killed by the conquering British until Ranjit’s youngest son, six-year-old Dalip, becomes Punjab’s new maharajah. But the British have established a strong foothold in the region, making little Dalip a ruler in name only. With a strong eye for detail and a great talent for dramatization, Sundaresan has composed an epic tale of a coveted jewel and its place in India’s rich history. --Carolyn Kubisz