My book Taj Mahal (Lerner Publishing, 2007), the story of the monument in India built more than 300 years ago, has long been out-of-print, but you can now read it as an e-book through Hoopla at your local library. If you have a library card and your library participates in Hoopla, all you have to do is register for Hoopla. (It's free.) You can then "borrow" books and read them on your computer or other device. I use Hoopla at the Los Angeles Public Library. (Hoopla is also a great way to download movies.)
I was inspired to write the story of the Taj Mahal after a visit to India in February 2000 when I went to Agra and saw the Taj Mahal. The text is a collaboration with my friend Madeleine Comora, who had also been to the Taj Mahal and was fascinated with it's history. The beautiful illustrations, in the the style of Indian miniature paintings, are by Madeleine's husband, Rahul Bhushan.
The Taj Mahal is undoubtedly one of the most spectacular buildings of the world, renowned for its architectural magnificence and aesthetic beauty. It is a rare book that can do justice to such a structure, but the grace and elegance of Rahul Bhushan's work captures the culture and the people that created the magnificent building. The story is a beautiful one, telling how Shah Jahan achieved immortality for himself and his departed wife, Mumtaz Mahal, by fulfilling her wish for a memorable tomb. The building itself is so exquisite that the Taj Mahal is more than an expression of one man's love for a woman; it has become a symbol of grace and beauty and a monument to universal love.
