It is a story of an Indian young man who served Queen Victoria & had such an amazing relationship with the Queen. He was her friend, a confidante & someone who had Queen's unwavering support. No matter how many conspiracies were staged against him due to him being an Asian, the Queen always stood strong in supporting him & faced the consequences herself. She was so kind.
It is a short book of 125 pages with 10-12 black & white pictures at the end that survived the test of time. It is a good read but to be honest, I was annoyed during the first half of the book as it felt like being focused on Queen's pregnancies only & they were too many! (Not that it is wrong in any sense but still). The writing style of these scenarios & how her physical features were described felt awkward.
However, the numerous scandals, the conspiracies, the evil plans against the Munshi, the racism, hatred, the documentation of mental illnesses that plagued the royal family over the years, the travel history of the Queen, various royal events was enlightening & the way Munshi was treated after her death saddened me the most.
The ending chapters redeemed this book for me. It literally brought tears to my eyes. The way the Queen supported & appreciated her friend from the Indian subcontinent who was just like a son to her was exceptional. No wonder why she got so famous back in India that mothers used the coins with her face to tie them around their children's necks & called her Malika Toria. 😍
The quality of the book was perfect. 5 stars for the book's condition and timely delivery.
