Mothers and mother figures play a prominent role in my Land of Magadha trilogy.
Stepmother
In Heir to Malla, you meet Queen Charu, stepmother of Meera and Jay. Is she an evil queen? Not quite. I featured her in a blog post.
Tears welled in my eyes anyway for the mother I lost, and my stepmother who got her wish to wear the crown but knew no real happiness.
Princess Meera
Grandmother
Grandmothers and the tales they spin can be magical. Meera’s grandmother plants seeds in her mind of what her life will be like as a queen. I wrote about how my grandmother inspired my writing journey.
Even my beloved Padi may not be worthy of my beautiful and brave granddaughter.
Queen Mother Priya
Sister
The wonderful sibling relationship between Meera and Jay features prominently in my trilogy.
“The one our mother taught us?”
“I don’t remember her, let alone her voice. I only remember you singing to me.”
Jay
Aunt
Of course, many aunts act as mother figures in the story.
He cried out for his mother last night. I watched as Aranya comforted him tenderly and calmed his demons.
Jay
A mother’s love is complex, and I enjoyed exploring the different layers of it in my story.
Anger surged in me like a fire that was fed new wood. I needed to protect my child.
Meera
What is your favorite portrayal of mother in fiction?
Anna Bushi 