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Under the Jewelled Sky
Romantic Novel of the Year Awards, 2015
‘with a heartbreaking ending, this is truly a captivating tale’ THE LADY
This is not the India that Sophie fell in love with ten years ago . . .
London, 1957. Sophie accepts a wedding proposal from an ambitious British diplomat, but when he is posted to the glittering ex-pat society in New Delhi, she is confronted with the memory of her first, forbidden love.
Sophie meant never to return, yet the moment she steps on to India’s burning soil, a devastating chain of events is set into motion that will bring her face to face with a past she tried so desperately to forget . . .
‘This is a wonderful novel. A page-turner that is gripping, sensitive and thought-provoking. Highly recommended’ HISTORICAL NOVELS SOCIETY on The Secret Children
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Reviews
Bursting with the evocative glow of long-forgotten India, UNDER THE JEWELLED SKY lures you into a beautiful story of scandal, of hope, and the kind of love that marks us forever. An unforgettable, irresistible tale that wraps around your heart and won't let go
McQueen has a fine sense of place and character... A richly imagined story of love, politics and fate
This novel reminded me of a hot summer evening. Slow-moving, languid and sensual... Worth staying up all night to read? Yes. Beautiful, yet painfully, romantic
McQueen expertly captures the innocence and passion of young love-and how it can so quickly turn into something tragic when politics and the realities of adulthood get in the way. This historical page-turner deals out hope and heartbreak in turn, hurtling the reader toward its devastating denouement
A superbly written, informative and deeply emotional story, well worth reading
Beautiful and brave and bittersweet -- a moving story of how love in all its forms binds us together and endures, in spite of everything
McQueen effortlessly captures India at a crucial turning point in its history - the country is described so vividly that it becomes a character in itself .... with a heartbreaking ending, this is truly a captivating tale
From the drama of partition to the remnants of colonial life, Alison McQueen paints a vivid picture of a vast country and its rich culture, and against this exotic, atmospheric backdrop she sets her bittersweet romance
Under the Jewelled Sky is a truly breathtaking novel. Set in India at the moment of Partition and Independence, a decade unfolds in an amazing Indian Romeo & British Juliet tragic adventure, with evocative elements of The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett and Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie. Stunning detail and language
Rich with history and a candid view of the racism, discrimination, and sexism of the day, McQueen's historical novel provides more than a compelling story set in an exotic locale. Part mystery, part romance, it defines love's bond through time
McQueen ensnares the reader's imagination in a story about forbidden love, second chances and confronting your past