Description
Few landmarks capture the imagination like the Taj Mahal, and Allan Havis’s Architects of the Taj Mahal is an ambitious novel that intertwines architecture, history, ambition, and betrayal across centuries. Told through multiple perspectives, the novel reimagines the story behind the Taj Mahal’s creation, blending historical fiction with contemporary intrigue to examine the legacy of those who build monuments—and those who manipulate their meanings.
Havis’s novel is an intricate tapestry of time and place, beginning in 17th-century Mughal India with Mir Abdul Karim, an architect working under Ustad Ahmad Lahori, the chief designer of the Taj Mahal. The novel paints a vivid picture of the court of Emperor Shah Jahan, where loyalty is dangerous, and artistic genius comes at a terrible cost. Through Mir’s eyes, we witness the painstaking craftsmanship and political peril behind the Taj Mahal’s construction, all while navigating his deep personal fears. The novel raises compelling questions about artistic ownership, sacrifice, and the intersection of power and creativity.
But Architects of the Taj Mahal doesn’t confine itself to the past. Havis seamlessly weaves in a modern thread following Roseanne L’Anse, an ambitious architect in 1980s and ’90s America, navigating the male-dominated world of casino and resort design. Her encounters with figures like Donald Trump and her own experiences of professional compromise provide a sharp, often ironic contrast to the historical narrative. Through Roseanne’s journey, Havis highlights the ways in which power structures, gender dynamics, and corruption endure across time.
The novel’s prose is rich and evocative, particularly in its historical sections, where the descriptions of architecture and craftsmanship transport the reader into the heart of Mughal India. The dialogue is sharp, and Havis’s attention to detail—both historical and contemporary—makes the story feel immersive. However, the frequent jumps between timelines, while intellectually stimulating, can be jarring at times, requiring the reader to adjust quickly to shifting narratives.
What truly sets this book apart is its thematic depth. Havis delves into the cost of creation—both in the literal sense of the laborers and architects who sacrificed their lives for the Taj Mahal, and in the metaphorical sense of those who build their legacies on the backs of others. By drawing parallels between past and present, Architects of the Taj Mahal challenges us to consider who gets to be remembered in history and who is erased.
For readers who love historical fiction with a contemporary edge, Architects of the Taj Mahal is a thought-provoking, elegantly written novel that lingers in the mind long after the final page. Havis crafts a story as intricate as the monument it celebrates—both a tribute and a cautionary tale about the price of beauty and ambition.
