Review: Raj

Raj by Gita Mehta
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Hooter: The chronicles of British Raj and Royal India through the perspectives of a princess from behind the purdah through almost three quarters of a century.

As a chronicle from 1897 to post Independence on a princess who wants status quo in the kingdom of Sirpur in an otherwise fast moving world around her with WWI, WWII, Civil Disobedience and right upto Independence of India, it builds up as a good premise of retelling of these historic moments from an individual's perspective who was a bystander to these global events. I can't say common because Jaya is part of the royal family and obviously enjoys a lot of liberties on one hand but a lot of traditional customs expected of the royal family on the other. The want to be more British to protect their kingdoms comes across through a lot of protagonists as they swing between England and the English society. If you remove the period from this and place it stand alone as a story arc of a girl who wants to make a difference in a patriarchical society, she doesn't do much and the story could be wrapped in half the space it takes but the mix of historical fiction and facts add a unique perspective to this story. 

View all my reviews