HarperCollins Publishers India will be publishing a new novel by beloved, bestselling writer, Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni. The Last Queen will be released in January 2021 and is the inspiring story of an audacious queen, brought to life in the author’s signature style. The novel has already been optioned for film rights.
While we have all heard tales of Rani Lakshmi Bai and Padmavati, not many of us are familiar with another Indian queen. Daughter of the royal kennel keeper, the beautiful Jindan Kaur was Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s youngest and last queen; his favourite. She became regent when her son Dalip, barely six years old, unexpectedly inherited the throne and went on to become a legendary warrior queen.
Sharp-eyed, stubborn, passionate, and dedicated to protecting her son’s heritage, Jindan distrusted the British and fought hard to keep them from annexing Punjab. Defying tradition, she stepped out of the zenana, cast aside the veil and conducted state business in public. Addressing her Khalsa troops herself, she inspired her men in two wars against the ‘firangs’. Her power and influence were so formidable that the British, fearing an uprising, robbed the rebel queen of everything she had, including her son. She was imprisoned and exiled. But that did not crush her indomitable will.
An exquisite love story of a king and a commoner, a cautionary tale about loyalty and betrayal, and a powerful parable of the indestructible bond between mother and child, Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni’s unforgettable novel brings alive one of the most fearless women of the nineteenth century, an inspiration for our times.
Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni: ‘I am delighted to be partnering with HarperCollins to bring the amazing and largely-forgotten Maharani Jindan Kaur to readers. From the beginning, I was struck by her strength and unfaltering courage even as she goes through the worst challenges of her life. Delightfully human with her faults and foibles, the resolute Jindan has been an inspiring companion to me through these troubled times. I trust she will do the same for all who pick up this book. I am additionally excited because the book has already been optioned by Endemol Shine for a movie.’
Diya Kar, Publisher – Commercial, HarperCollins India: ‘We are thrilled to be publishing Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni again. Chitra’s matchless storytelling is a great gift to the world. What a perfect time to be given this incredible story of a remarkable woman, a real icon for us today. I can’t wait for The Last Queen to be read—and loved.’
About the author – Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni is an award-winning and bestselling author, poet, activist and teacher of writing. Her work has been published widely, in magazines and anthologies, and her books have been translated into twenty-nine languages. Several of her works have been made into films and plays. Her last novel was the bestseller, The Forest of Enchantments, a retelling of the Ramayana in Sita’s voice. She lives in Houston with her husband Murthy and has two sons, Anand and Abhay. Chitra tweets @cdivakaruni and she loves to connect with her readers on her Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/chitradivakaruni/.
For further information and queries, please write to: Shabnam.Srivastava@harpercollins.co.in
Pre-order The Last Queen here –
Amazon.in – https://amzn.to/3pyWgXm;
Flipkart – https://bit.ly/3nojayK
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