Audiobook11 hours
The Mountain of Light
Written by Indu Sundaresan
Narrated by Neil Shah
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5/5
()
About this audiobook
As empires rose and fell and mighty kings jostled for power, its glittering radiance never dimmed. It is the "Mountain of Light"-the Kohinoor diamond-and its facets reflect a sweeping story of love, adventure, conquest, and betrayal. Its origins are the stuff of myth, but for centuries this spectacular gem changes hands from one ruler to another in India, Persia, and Afghanistan. In 1850, the ancient stone is sent halfway around the world where it will play a pivotal role in the intertwined destinies of a boy-king of India and a young queen of England-a queen who claims the Mountain of Light and India itself for her own burgeoning empire, the most brilliant jewels in her imperial crown.
The Mountain of Light is a magnificent story of loss and recovery, sweeping change and enduring truth, wrapped around the glowing heart of one of the world's most famous diamonds.
The Mountain of Light is a magnificent story of loss and recovery, sweeping change and enduring truth, wrapped around the glowing heart of one of the world's most famous diamonds.
Author
Indu Sundaresan
Indu Sundaresan was born in India and came to the US for graduate school at the University of Delaware. She is the author of The Twentieth Wife, The Feast of Roses, Splendor of Silence, In the Convent of Little Flowers, Shadow Princess, and The Mountain of Light.
Related to The Mountain of Light
Related audiobooks
The Mapmaker's Daughter: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Empress: The Astonishing Reign of Nur Jahan Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Daughters of India Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Sister of My Heart: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Oleander Girl: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Last Queen: A Novel of Courage and Resistance Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Gardener of Baghdad Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Lioness of Morocco Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Love in Exile Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I Remember Abbu Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Sweet Dates in Basra: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Last Train to Istanbul: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Three Daughters: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Together Tea Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Flame Tree Road Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5If Today Be Sweet: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Frustrated Women's Club Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Rose of Sarajevo Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Secrets Between Us: A Novel Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Sleeping Dictionary Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Trail of Broken Wings Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5When the Moon Is Low: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Golden Age Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Independence: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Without a Country Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Color of Our Sky: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5One Half from the East Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Elephant Keeper's Daughter Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Beneath a Marble Sky Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Sky at Our Feet Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
General Fiction For You
A Court of Mist and Fury Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A Court of Wings and Ruin Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A Court of Frost and Starlight Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5It Ends with Us Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Good Omens: A Full Cast Production Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Hunger Games Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Alchemist Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Two Towers Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Outsider: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Court of Thorns and Roses Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5And Then There Were None Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5All the Light We Cannot See: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Fight Club Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Return of the King Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Finn Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Overstory Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Wishful Drinking Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Dark Tower I: The Gunslinger Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Bell Jar Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Farseer: Assassin's Apprentice Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5American Gods: The Tenth Anniversary Edition Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Dutch House: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Keeper of Lost Things: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Darker Shade of Magic Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Finding Me: A Memoir Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A Man Called Ove: A Novel Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5In Five Years: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Reviews for The Mountain of Light
Rating: 4.25 out of 5 stars
4.5/5
8 ratings3 reviews
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I will start by writing that to me this was not so much a novel as a series of short stories with the Kohinoor Diamond as what drew them together. Each "chapter" was a period of time in the history of the diamond and its sad displacement from India to England.I had very, very limited knowledge of Indian history going into this book and it has expanded a bit after reading and I'm pleased. I'll be looking for more reading in this area. Ms. Sundaresan does an excellent job of marrying the history of the land with the magic of the Kohinoor. The names are a touch confusing at the onset as some are quite similar but once the reader learns to differentiate the stories flow easily and are very well written with rich descriptions of environment, clothing and the overall wealth of the Punjab Empire.I read the book in just about one sitting as I found it hard to put down. Despite knowing the end story of the Kohinoor I wanted to know about the people surrounding the diamond and in this the book did not disappoint. The feelings and emotions were well described and the characters all well developed - I think that even that cold piece of carbon developed into a true character in the book. I felt for it when it was downsized....A truly fascinating book presenting a rich history from a unique perspective. It sparkled like a diamond.
2 people found this helpful
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I picked up The Mountain of Light by Indu Sundaresan because it boasted of a story of a large diamond: the Kohinoor. When I read the summary I was intrigued. I have not read a story centering around a gem in quite a long time and I kept thinking back to one of my favorite childhood movies, Romancing the Stone. I was positive that not only would I get a taste of adventure while reading The Mountain of Light, but I'd also get to learn a bit more history about India and examine more closely the relationship between India and England during a pivotal point in both countries' history.Read the rest of this review at The Lost Entwife on Nov. 11, 2013
1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I will start by writing that to me this was not so much a novel as a series of short stories with the Kohinoor Diamond as what drew them together. Each "chapter" was a period of time in the history of the diamond and its sad displacement from India to England.I had very, very limited knowledge of Indian history going into this book and it has expanded a bit after reading and I'm pleased. I'll be looking for more reading in this area. Ms. Sundaresan does an excellent job of marrying the history of the land with the magic of the Kohinoor. The names are a touch confusing at the onset as some are quite similar but once the reader learns to differentiate the stories flow easily and are very well written with rich descriptions of environment, clothing and the overall wealth of the Punjab Empire.I read the book in just about one sitting as I found it hard to put down. Despite knowing the end story of the Kohinoor I wanted to know about the people surrounding the diamond and in this the book did not disappoint. The feelings and emotions were well described and the characters all well developed - I think that even that cold piece of carbon developed into a true character in the book. I felt for it when it was downsized....A truly fascinating book presenting a rich history from a unique perspective. It sparkled like a diamond.