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Jahanara by Kathryn Lasky6/21/2023 The women are not free - they cannot leave the harem, they cannot be seen by men, nor can they interact with them in any meaningful way. There is an issue here at stake of freedom. I found myself torn in two by this idea - on the one hand, she is protected from the political marriages and intrigues that, say, poor Katherine of Spain or Marie Antoinette were forced to endure, but on the other hand, how lonely would it be to never marry or have children? As such, she is a beloved and famous princess, but there are no portraits or pictures of her, for she was only ever seen by the women of her father's harem! This life is one of ease and leisure, but she is saddened by a life of isolation that stretches before her, sheltered as she is from all men who are not her immediate family. As such, and unlike the princesses of Europe, she will never marry, remaining unwed and under her family's roof all her life, serving as a counselor and entertainer for her father and brothers. Jahanara is "Princess of Princesses" because she is the favorite daughter of her father. This is a fascinating look at another culture.
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