Lioness of Punjab

October 31, 2022
Debut author Kharbanda crafts a riveting historical tale in this reimagining of the life of a Sikh warrior known as Mai Bhago (1670–1720), set in early 1700s Jhabal Kalan near Amritsar. Though Bhago is now a figure of Sikh legend, she was born Bhag Bhari and raised by a traditional family. From a young age, Bhag knew she “would not accept my fate as a woman,” especially while her uncles and male cousins went off to battle against the Mughal empire, most never to return. Throughout her life, she struggles to reconcile her self-imposed duty to protect her people with her yearning to be a good daughter. She soon persuades her father to teach her how to properly wield a weapon and, despite her insistence that she doesn’t want to conform to traditional expectations, marries. As war continues to ravage her people, Bhag comes into her own, intertwining her seemingly separate desires to bravely combat injustice. While the battle sequences are thrillingly wrought, it’s the narrative’s careful focus on Bhag’s development of her vocation; her relationship with her husband; and her community’s willingness to grow and change with her that proves thought-provoking and inspiring. An author’s note concludes. Ages 14–up. Agent: Jennifer Lyons, Jennifer Lyons Literary.

July 15, 2022
A sweeping tale about a legendary 18th-century female Sikh warrior who went to war against the Mughal empire. Now known to generations of Sikhs as Mai Bhago, the young woman born Bhag Bhari is a teen at a crossroads when the novel opens. Growing up in a traditional Sikh family in Jhabal Kalan near Amritsar, Bhag Bhari resists prescribed feminine tasks like cooking and sewing. Rather than dreaming of settling down and raising a family, she yearns to study martial arts like the men in her family--and displays striking talents when she does so. She also yearns to use her skills to protect her people. When her uncle and cousin are sent to war, she both worries about them and longs to be part of the fight. But Bhag Bhari's parents urge her to focus more on finding a respectable husband and being a good bride. Kharbanda's novel is at its strongest when it describes Bhag Bhari's struggle to push back against the often sexist environment around her. While many parts of this legend's fictionalized story are fascinating, the pacing feels uneven--often quite slow but too rushed when it comes to the main character's evolving relationship with Nidhan Singh, her husband. Still, readers will likely be drawn to the rich historical details, and Bhag Bhari's strong Sikh faith and courage shine throughout. An illuminating look at Sikh history. (author's note, sources) (Historical fiction. 13-18)

COPYRIGHT(2022) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.