Sophia: Princess, Suffragette, Revolutionary

Reviews

S

Finishing this book felt like the end of: an era, a dynasty and a family line too. If the reason really was so there would be no future challenge to the throne of the Punjab (and, by extension, precious Crown Jewels, such as the Koh-i-Noor), then that is surprising given that Queen Victoria considered herself to be a Christian and would have been familiar with ideas such as: "for what shall it profit a man to gain the whole world but lose his soul? This book about Sophia Duleep Singh is well-researched, well-balanced and well-written. Overall, I think the story about Sophia's family history is actually tragic, but there is a certain magic, strength and beauty about it too.

"(Mark 8:36). Didn't Queen Victoria swear an oath to protect the Prince Victor Duleep Singh as her God-son?

I was actually crying when I completed the book; this is testament to how well the author portrays the characters and nuances in the recorded (and unrecorded) history. So, I loved the balancing of the scales offered in this book. The book is made even more meaningful because these were all real people who actually lived; this reads and feels like a story or novel, but it is not fiction.