John ShorsBeneath a Marble Sky

John Shors says 65% of this novel is based on hard facts - all the royal characters were real people and acted as they did in the book. So he's used a bit of "poetic licence" to tell a good tale. It's certainly worth a read, so long as you are not pedantic about historical fiction being 100% accurate.But this novel is more than historical fiction I think. Beautifully written (in the first person narrative through the eyes of Princess Jahanara), with evocative imagery, it is an epic story depicting the downfall of a royal empire. In a similar vein to Ken Follett's Pillars of the Earth (but much shorter), it covers powerful emotions - greed, lust, power, resilience, love - between siblings, parents and children and of course, men and women. I enjoyed it more than I expected to. I also felt it has relevance to today's world, by illustrating the societal impact of liberal versus orthodox perspectives in religion and using the latter to justify discrimination, war and genocide.It's a captivating read. I highly recommend it

I had planned a trip to India to see the Taj Mahal, among other sites, and a friend recommended this book. I would classify it as historical fiction, or fictional history. Having just come back from India, the book came alive when I saw the Taj Mahal in person! What a magnificent structure! While I know that the book isn't 100% true, I want to believe it is. While the story about the construction of the Taj is pretty much accurate, the love story probably isn't. But don't let this deter you; it's very well written. I didn't want it to end.

I had not read a John Shors book prior to picking this one up. I will certainly be reading more of his stories. He has a way of eloquently writing about architecture, love and war during the building of the Taj Mahal. At times beautiful, others brutish. Couldn't stop turning the pages.

Beneath A Marble Sky by John Shors is a beautifully crafted work of art. His writing is visually descriptive and his flow is really captivating. It's a page turner that doesn't rush, yet holds your attention and doesn't let it waver. One thing I'm really impressed with is the voice of the main character, Jahanara. It doesn't feel at all like it could be coming from a man's point of view - which can be the downfall of many male authors who attempt to write in first person for a female character. This voice feels true.This is the story of Princess Jahanara, daughter of the ruling family of seventeenth-century Hindustan that became famous for building the Taj Mahal. After her mother's death, her father commissions the Taj Mahal to be built and puts Jahanara in charge of overseeing the project and its brilliant architect, Isa. Of course, romantic feelings develop between the two, but as Jahanara has an unhappy marriage of political convenience to a cruel and scheming businessman, she and Isa can not truly be together. Add to this, two of her brothers are vying for power and favor as to who will take over the Peacock throne when the Emperor dies. Who will it be? The conniving and paranoid military man who despises his family as well the Hindus who make up a huge portion of the population? Or the more sensitive academic who wants nothing more than to unite the Muslims and Hindus and create a strong and prosperous Hindustani empire? Passion, murder, intrigue and war make for an exciting tale.While this is a fictional novel, it does follow the history closely and Shors weaves a tight tapestry of sight and sound. The action is very gripping, as is the love story between Isa and Jahanara. The cast of supporting characters are well written and never stray from their identities. They feel "true". Shors writes extraordinary dialog that never feels forced or trite but is laced with poetry and symbolism. His descriptions are complete and visual but not overly wordy, which is the pitfall of many an author. I'm still stunned that this is his first book.I really hope you all go pick up a copy. It really is a superbly crafted novel!

The Taj Mahal is the inspiration for this loosely interpreted love story. Princess Jahanara is the main character, and like many main characters in historical novels, she is highly intelligent and feisty and thinks like a modern woman.Of course I knew it was all fiction as I let myself become involved with the story, and at times I actually found it quite silly. However, I was also captured by the tale and found myself thinking about the book and rushing back to it just to see what would happen next. The author did a good job of keeping the details of life in the empire interesting and engaging. Central to the story is Jahanara's forbidden love with the architect of the Taj Mahal. There are other love stories as well, especially that of Jahanara's father, the emperor who built the famous tomb for his favorite wife who died in childbirth.Throughout, I was aware that this was a novel, and that many of the historical details were outright wrong, but that didn't make me put down the book. Something exciting happens on every page and the characters are defined early as either the "good guys" or the "bad guys". Aurangzeb, who later became emperor and ruled for a lifetime, is a bad guy and we see this cruel streak in him right from his childhood. We're certainly not surprised then, when later, he murders his brother and imprisons his father. The reader identifies with Jahanara, and we share the ups and downs of her life. She is treated terribly by her husband, adored by her father, and loved by the architect. She is imprisoned and suffers unspeakable horrors, but somehow has the quick mind to get her out of the most outrageous situations.I resisted checking the facts about the Taj Mahal until after I finished the book. I soon learned that the author crafted the story out of the very barest of facts and as far as I am concerned, it was ALL fiction. But I must say that I really did enjoy reading it. It was great escape fiction on a hot summer's day. Understanding that, I do give it a lightweight recommendation. Just be aware of its limitations.

As the author rightly says when you open the first page of this book, "It is a work of fiction". Hence the three stars. I was looking for a book much closer to historical facts. That it is written by someone totally unfamiliar with the true culture and traditions of muslim culture are borne out by the way the culture is depicted. It is very Westernized and is written to please Western readers with a bit of sex thrown in. History does not mention that Jahanara was ever married to anyone or had a relationship with the Architect of the Taj Mahal. There were rules pertaining to marriages of Royal Princesses at the time which made it all impossible.A bit more research into the history of this famous lady would have made this much more interesting reading.As the writer says "A work of fiction".I prefer fiction and historical novels to be kept apart. The title is misleading, I purchased it on the assumption that it was a historical novel. Had I known the names of the people concerned with creating one of the world's greatest wonders have been used in fiction, I would not have purchased this.

great book, astonished love story, the best book for me in my life, story about true love and work on Taj mahal

good read

The language is beautiful and there are numerous phrases that you might want to note down. However I could not read beyond halfway as the fictional plot became quite ridiculous.

I have never read John Shors before but can hardly wait to purchase all his books. His style of writing is so lush and so inviting from the first word to the very last one. This book captured me from page 1. He writes with such humanity. Like I said, I haven't read his books before but will be purchasing all of his books. If they are anything like Beneath the Marble Sky, they will be incredible.