December Online Book Club: Rebel Queen by Michelle Moran
Rebel Queen
by Michelle Moran
“After all, memoirs are not open doors into another person’s house. They are more like broken windows, with the owner trying to explain away all of the damage.” (Sita in Rebel Queen)
Lisa from my in-real-life Book Club chose Rebel Queen in November. Our group found so much to discuss, I thought you might enjoy it, too. This is the story of Rani Lakshmibai, the Queen of Jhansi, told through the eyes of Sita, one of the queen’s Durgavasi–elite female bodyguards. Lakshmibai ruled the kingdom of Jhansi until the British East India Company annexed its territories in 1857 after a brutal and bloody war.
We meet Sita’s family living in a small rural town before she becomes a soldier to escape her grandmother’s attempt to sell her as a prostitute at a local temple. Following along with her training and work as a privileged member of the palace guard, we see the spaces reserved only for women during these tumultuous times. This story has it all: tragedy, intrigue, conspiracies, murder, and brutality. Also love, kindness, friendship, and the Queen’s courage to fight for her people’s survival.
My only criticism was that it could have been longer and included more of the actual battles. I admit knowing very little about Jhansi or this war, and I appreciated the side notes and comments the author added explaining the language or cultural terms. While Sita was a fictional character, there’s a blend of real people and events woven into the story which made it come alive.
Published in 2015, you should be able to borrow a copy of this book from your local library. It’s also available on Hoopla as an audiobook.
I’m adding this 2019 movie about Rani Lakshmibai available on Prime to my watch list. I hope it’s as good as the book. (I always hope that, but it rarely happens…)
Click on the picture to watch the movie trailer, and let me know if you’ve already seen it.
I love my Kindle, but I also love the feel and smell of real books, especially for gift giving. The first two Cassandra Sato books are discounted the entire month of December, and if you have Amazon Prime, they come with free shipping in time for Christmas. If you want copies of the Duke books, I have some at my house I can sign for you and pop in the mail with free shipping. Just fill out the Google form to order them.
Kelly Brakenhoff is the author of 15 books and a seasoned ASL interpreter. She splits her writing energy between two series: cozy mysteries set on a college campus and children’s books featuring Duke the Deaf Dog.
Parents, kids, and teachers love the children’s books and activity guides because they introduce ASL and the Deaf community through fun, engaging stories. And if you enjoy a smart female sleuth, want to learn more about Deaf culture, or have ever lived in a place where livestock outnumber people, the Cassandra Sato Mystery series will have you connecting the dots faster than a group project coming together the night before it’s due.
A proud mom to four adults, head of the dog-snuggling department, and grandma to a growing brood of perfectly behaved grandkids, Kelly and her husband call Nebraska home.