In Search of Amrit Kaur: An Indian Princess in Wartime Paris

In Search of Amrit Kaur is a novel by Livia Manera Sambuy that tells the story of Princess Amrit Kaur, who sold her jewels in occupied Paris to save Jewish lives and was arrested by the Gestapo and sent to a concentration camp where she died within a year. Livia travels to meet Bubbles, the princess's daughter, and unearths a strange and complicated family history.

Format: Hardback
Length: 352 pages
Publication date: 12 January 2023
Publisher: Vintage Publishing

In Search of Amrit Kaur is a remarkable and captivating book written by Edmund de Waal. The author portrays a remarkable sleuth, both astute and open-minded, who embarks on a captivating journey to unravel the truth behind a captivating story.

Manera Sambuy, the author, writes with a passionate style and deep insight, captivating the reader from the very beginning. The Telegraph describes the book as a remarkable true story that spans from the Punjab of the Raj to 1930s Paris and the cataclysm of the Second World War.

On a scorching day in 2007, Italian writer Livia Manera Sambuy encounters a photograph of Princess Amrit Kaur in a Mumbai museum. The picture is stunning, captivating, and will forever change Livia's life. The caption beneath it claims that the Punjabi princess sold her jewels in occupied Paris to save Jewish lives, only to be arrested by the Gestapo and sent to a concentration camp, where she tragically died within a year.

This sensational story ignites Livia's passion for truth-seeking, leading her on a compulsive journey into the history of the British Raj, the diamonds and sapphires of the twentieth-century aristocracy, and the lives of extraordinary individuals. Bankers, jewellers, explorers, and spies all play pivotal roles in Livia's quest to uncover the truth about Princess Amrit Kaur.

As Livia travels to meet Bubbles, the princess's daughter, now in her eighties, she unearths a strange and complicated family history that diverges unexpectedly from the story she set out to uncover. The book is filled with glamour, terror, beauty, and sorrow, offering a kaleidoscopic history lesson and a moving portrait of mothers, lovers, and daughters across the century, all seeking personal freedom.

In Search of Amrit Kaur has received numerous accolades, including the CAPALBIO PIAZZA MAGENTA LITERARY PRIZE 2023. It is a testament to the author's talent and storytelling prowess, leaving the reader in awe of the remarkable journey undertaken by Livia Manera Sambuy.

Weight: 542g
Dimension: 163 x 223 x 35 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781784741198