The Mountain of Light

Written by Indu Sundaresan

Narrated by Neil Shah

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.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tantor Media, Inc
• Release date: Oct 8, 2013
• ISBN: 9781452686103

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.

Reviews for The Mountain of Light

[brokenteepee · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I 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.

[thelostentwife · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I 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

[bookscookslooks · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I 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.