Black Taj

Set against a background of monsoons and heat waves, shanty towns and expensive bungalows, rich old women and angry young men, love and tradition, lives will change forever. As an only child, Simi a well born Hindu young woman grew up with comforts and certainties. Then suddenly, many things change. Her country is convulsed by the riots that have periodically gripped India since Britain's abrupt withdrawal and the bloody Partition of 1947, tearing society apart along lines of religion, caste and community. To the horror of her grandmother and the outrage of their friends Simi falls deeply in love with Muslim doctor…'Mohini Kent explores the effects of Partition and the social unrest, resentment, and religious conflicts in 1947 India. This is an important and provocative novel' (Mark Tully) 'Black Taj takes forbidden, unbiddable love, the staple of romantic fiction and uses it to tell a much deeper and terrible tale of communal hatred still burning and destroying lives and hopes in India today. We are carried away by the love story between two strong characters and also pulled down into the depths of hell by the author who wants us to know, to feel the agonies of a tragically divided land. The novel is both deeply pessimistic and highly optimistic' (Yasmin AlibhaiBrown) 'This is a beautifully realised story for the new Indian century'. (Andy Marino) 'A riveting read set against an intricate tapestry of love and religion in postIndependence India' (Anita Raghavan, author of, The Billionaire's Apprentice ) 'Mohini Kent's novel sensitively explores the effects of the partition and the social unrest, resentment and religious conflict of 1947 India. She writes with care, honesty and commitment that this important subject deserves. This book is a valuable addition to the growing literature of the partition' (Sudeep Sen, author) 'A deeply moving and sensitively written novel exploring the intercommunal violence in India, a subject often ignored or poorly examined. It adds greatly to our understanding of how human relations are structured and identities composed'(Lord Bhikhu Parekh) 'Fascinating, poignant, thrilling – a brilliant read! Provides an excellent and moving insight into social history'. (Royina Grewal author of Babur Conqueror of Hindustan). 'Mohini Kent is a gripping storyteller, Before you know where you are, you are deep into her novel'. (Amit Roy, Telegraph India and Eastern Eye UK).'Brilliantly dramatises. This is no period romance but an ambitious and brilliantly realised attempt to trace through the tangled and compromised net of religious and social relationships the trajectory of India itself since Independence. This is a beautifully realised story for the new Indian century'. (Andy Marino, biographer of Narendra Modi).'A thundery tale told with all the brilliance, force and fury of a Monsoon rainstrom as it pelts down towards its torrential climax. To be in bondage to the past as so many Indians still are, is only one of many curses that some as yet unknown god needs to free us from'. (Roshan Seth)'Gripping, humorous and ultimately a profoundly humane story about human frailty and prejudice. Mohini Kent creates marvellous characters that inhabit a broad canvas which elegantly chronicles relationships in India, where the past can eclipse the future. A must read for anyone interested in understanding the mind of modern India'. (Shomit Mitter).