Rebel Queen

Sita, the educated daughter of a village family, wins a place in the Durga Dal, the elite female guard serving Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi. Palace life gives her training, income and an unusual degree of independence, but it also exposes her to rivalries within the women’s household and to the political pressure created by the East India Company’s determination to annex the kingdom.

When the Indian Rebellion of 1857 turns Jhansi into a contested fortress, Sita becomes both witness and participant in Lakshmibai’s resistance. The queen raises troops, negotiates with uncertain allies and refuses to surrender her claim, while Sita must balance service to Jhansi against responsibility for the family she left behind. The novel presents the rebellion through women whose military loyalty carries personal and political costs.