Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni is an award-winning author and poet whose works deeply explore the Indian experience, contemporary American life, and the dynamics of immigration. Her writing delves into complex themes of womanhood, history, and myth, celebrating the joys and challenges of living within a multicultural world. Divakaruni's unique voice and insightful perspectives on the human condition make her a significant presence in contemporary literature. She writes with a keen sense of detail and empathy, allowing readers to fully immerse themselves in the worlds she crafts.
Takes us back to a time that is half-history, half-myth, and wholly magical. Narrated by Panchaali, the wife of the five Pandava brothers, this book gives a woman's take on the timeless tale that is the Mahabharata.
The book is based on the Indian epic The Ramayan, which she re-tells from the point of the main female character, Sita.
During the partition of British India in 1947, three sisters find themselves separated from each other after their father, a well-respected doctor, is killed during a riot and their neighbors turn against them.
She rose from commoner to become the last reigning queen of India's Sikh Empire. In this dazzling novel, based on true-life events, bestselling author Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni presents the unforgettable story of Jindan, who transformed herself from daughter of the royal kennel keeper to powerful monarch. Sharp-eyed, stubborn, and passionate, Jindan was known for her beauty. When she caught the eye of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, she was elevated to royalty, becoming his youngest and last queen--and his favorite. And when her son, barely six years old, unexpectedly inherited the throne, Jindan assumed the regency. She transformed herself from pampered wife to warrior ruler, determined to protect her people and her son's birthright from the encroaching British Empire. Defying tradition, she stepped out of the zenana, cast aside the veil, and conducted state business in public, inspiring her subjects in two wars. Her power and influence were so formidable that the British, fearing an uprising, robbed the rebel queen of everything she had, but nothing crushed her indomitable will. An exquisite love story of a king and a commoner, a cautionary tale about loyalty and betrayal, a powerful parable of the indestructible bond between mother and child, and an inspiration for our times, Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni's novel brings alive one of the most fearless women of the nineteenth century, one whose story cries out to be told.
Born in a big old Calcutta house on the same night, the wild, tragic night their fathers were both mysteriously lost, Sudha and Anju are cousins. Closer even than sisters, they share clothes, possessions, worries, dreams - and three mothers, who preside over the matriarchal Chatterjee household. But when Sudha discovers a terrible secret about their past, their mutual loyalty is sorely tested. A family crisis forces the mothers to start the serious business of arranging the girls' marriages, and the inseparable pair are torn apart. Sudha moves to her new family'as home in rural Bengal, while Anju joins her immigrant husband in California. But nothing has prepared them for the pain, aswell as the joy, that each will have to face in her new life. Rooted in Indian folklore and steeped in the mysticism of ancient tales, this bright, jewel-like novel shines its light on the bonds of family, on love and loss, against the realities of traditional arranged marriages, and the adjustments needed for modern life.
Anand experiences a troubling vision of his mentor, Master Healer Abhaydatta, in peril. Faced with a dilemma, he must decide whether to inform his elders and risk losing valuable time or to act independently to protect his mentor. This inner conflict highlights themes of intuition, responsibility, and the tension between guidance and self-reliance in a mystical Himalayan setting.
Vande Mataram! The Song Of The Freedom Fighters Is Ringing In The Countryside. It Is 1939. In The Little Village Of Shona Gram In Bengal, Neela Hears About How The Freedom Fighters Will Stop At Nothing Till They Send The British Back. The Day After Her Sister S Wedding, Her Father Decides To Go To Calcutta And Join A Protest March Called By The Congress. He Promises To Be Back In A Week. But When Three Weeks Go By And There Is Still No Sign Of Him, Neela Decides To Take Matters Into Her Hand. Dressed As A Wandering Minstrel, She Arrives In Calcutta. There She Befriends Bimala, The Rich Daughter Of A Judge And Cousin Of Samar, A Young Freedom Fighter Neela Had Rescued From The Police In Her Village. They Begin A Desperate Search For Her Father And Get To Know He Is In Jail And That He Will Be Deported To The Andaman Islands In A Few Days. Neela Has To Free Her Father Before That. But Can A Twelve-Year-Old Girl Outwit The Mighty British Empire? Set In A Dramatic Period In India S History, This Racy Adventure Will Have You Turning The Pages To Find Out If Neela Finally Manages To Succeed In Her Mission Age Group Of Target Audience: 9+
The powerful new novel from the bestselling, award-winning author of Sister of My Heart and The Mistress of Spices.
Exploring the Indian experience in America, this poetry collection captures diverse themes, from childhood memories at a convent school in India to the narratives of early Indian immigrants in the U.S. The poems reflect a rich tapestry of cultural identity and personal history, offering insights into the complexities of navigating two worlds. Through vivid imagery and poignant storytelling, the collection highlights the unique challenges and experiences faced by the Indian diaspora.
In nine poignant stories spiked with humor and intelligence, Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni captures lives at crossroad moments–caught between past and present, home and abroad, tradition and fresh experience. A widow in California, recently arrived from India, struggles to adapt to a world in which neighbors are strangers and her domestic skills are deemed superfluous in the award-winning “Mrs. Dutta Writes a Letter.” In “The Intelligence of Wild Things,” a woman from Sacramento visits her brother in Vermont to inform him that back in Calcutta their mother is dying. And in the title story, a painter looks to ancient myth and the example of her grandmother for help in navigating her first real crisis of faith. Knowing, compassionate and expertly rendered, the stories in The Unknown Errors of Our Lives depict the eternal struggle to find a balance between the pull of home and the allure of change.
