A lyrical and gripping read that captures the drama and intrigues in the Mughal empire at the height of its glory. It is 1626, and Jahanara is in Mandu, central India. Her father, Prince Khurram—who will later become Emperor Shah Jahan—has fallen out of favour with Emperor Jahangir, and now lives in the Deccan with his wife Arjamand Bano and their five children. As events unfold around her, Jahanara records them in her diary—her father’s reaction to his exile; Empress Nur Jahan’s demand that Jahanara’s brothers be sent to her court as hostages; the conspiracies in faraway Agra and Lahore as Jahangir slides into ill-health; and her own growth as a sensitive writer and poet. Then one day, her father rides away to capture the Mughal throne, paving the way for Jahanara to return to her beloved Agra. This fictional diary recreates the drama of ambition, intrigue and loyalty that marked the Mughal empire at the height of its glory. As young Jahanara witnesses her father’s rise to the throne, she also contemplates the incredible cruelty that men inflict on each other, and the love and tenderness that will finally redeem all. Gripping and lyrical, The Teenage Diary of Jahanara brings to life a time we only read about in history books.

Subhadra Sen Gupta has written over forty books for children because she thinks children are the best readers in the world. She loves telling stories woven around history; plotting complicated mysteries and crazy adventures; dreaming up ghostly tales and scripting comic books. In 2014 she was awarded the Bal Sahitya Puraskar by the Sahitya Akademi for her children’s books. If you want to start a conversation with her, send her an email here and she promises to reply: subhadrasg@gmail.com.