Book review – Sophia by Anita Anand

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Sophia – Princess, Suffragette, Revolutionary by Anita Anand

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Genre: non fiction, history

A shocking story of disposession and discovery. Sophia Duleep Singh was born in 1876 after her father the Maharaja Duleep Singh’s Sikh kingdom (as well as the Koh-i-nor diamond) was taken by the British and he was exiled to England. Queen Victoria was godmother to Sophia who as a child was quiet and genteel – so what changed the princess into a militant suffragette?

This is an amazing story. If it was a novel it might seem a little far-fetched but it’s true, and an absolutely compelling book. It’s meticulously researched but told in a novelesque way which makes it a joy to read.

We follow Sophia from her aristocratic, socialite lifestyle at Hampton Court Palace to her travels in India where she learns about her roots and the injustices facing her people, to her fight for female justice, leading marches and getting arrested. I’d recommend this untold story to anyone with an interest in British history and especially the suffragette movement.

my rating