An impressive fictional portrait of one of the most influential and controversial empresses in India’s history from “a gifted storyteller with an obvious passion for history” (USA TODAY).

An enchanting historical epic of grand passion and adventure, this debut novel tells the captivating story of a woman whose brilliance and determination trumped myriad obstacles, and whose love shaped the course of the Mughal Empire. Skillfully blending the textures of historical reality with the rich and sensual imaginings of a timeless fairy tale, The Twentieth Wife sweeps us up in the bedazzling destiny of a woman—a legend in her own time—who was all but lost to history until now.