Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
Author of The Mistress of Spices
About the Author
Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni was born in India and later moved to the United States to attend college. She earned a M. A. at Wright State University and a Ph.D. from the University of California at Berkeley. Divakaruni held many odd jobs until she was able to become an accomplished writer. She was show more the president of MAITRI, a crisis hotline for female South Asian victims of domestic abuse, and is currently a professor at Foothill College in California. Her works have been recognized in more than 50 magazines and 30 anthologies. She also has been awarded two PEN Syndicated Fiction Project Awards, a Pushcart Prize, and the Allen Ginsberg Poerty Prize. Divakaruni's books include Arranged Marriage and The Mistress of Spices. Her Title One Amazing Thing made The New York Times Best Seller List. (Bowker Author Biography) Chitra Divakaruni is the author of the bestselling novels "The Mistress of Spices" & "Sister of My Heart", the story collection "Arranged Marriage", which won several awards, including the American Book Award, & four collections of poetry. Her work has appeared in "The New Yorker", "The Atlantic Monthly", "Ms.", & other publications. Born in India, she lives in the San Francisco area. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Image credit: Photographed at BookPeople in Austin, Texas by Frank Arnold
Series
Works by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
Aazadi [Freedom] 1 copy
REINA DE LOS SUEÑOS, LA 1 copy
Mrs. Dutta Writes a Letter 1 copy
Divakaruni, Chitra Archive 1 copy
La hiedra del deseo 1 copy
أغرب حكاية في حياتك 1 copy
Associated Works
The Bitch in the House: 26 Women Tell the Truth About Sex, Solitude, Work, Motherhood, and Marriage (2002) — Contributor — 736 copies, 20 reviews
Mirror, Mirror on the Wall: Women Writers Explore Their Favorite Fairy Tales (1998) — Contributor — 313 copies, 4 reviews
Writers on Writing, 2: More Collected Essays from the New York Times (2003) — Contributor — 201 copies, 3 reviews
From Totems to Hip-Hop: A Multicultural Anthology of Poetry Across the Americas 1900-2002 (2002) — Contributor — 181 copies
This Is My Best: Great Writers Share Their Favorite Work (2004) — Contributor — 175 copies, 3 reviews
Full-Blooded Fantasy: 8 Spellbinding Tales in Which Anything Is Possible (2005) — Contributor — 107 copies, 1 review
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Canonical name
- Divakaruni, Chitra Banerjee
- Birthdate
- 1956-07-29
- Gender
- female
- Education
- University of Calcutta (BA|1976)
Wright State University (MA|English)
University of California, Berkeley (PhD|English|1985) - Occupations
- Professor of Creative Writing
novelist
poet - Organizations
- Board of Directors "Pratham"
Advisory Board, "Daya"
University of Houston
Maitri - Awards and honors
- PEN Oakland Josephine Miles Prize for Fiction
Bay Area Book Reviewers Award (Fiction)
American Book Award
South Asian Literary Association Distinguished Author Award, 2007
Best Books of 2003, Publishers Weekly, The Conch Bearer - Agent
- Sandra Dijkstra
- Short biography
- Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni is an award-winning author and poet. Her themes include women, immigration, the South Asian experience, history, myth, magic and celebrating diversity.
She writes both for adults and children. Her books have been translated into 20 languages, including Dutch, Hebrew, Russian and Japanese. Two novels, The Mistress of Spices and Sister of My Heart, have been made into films. Her short stories, Arranged Marriage, won an American Book Award. She teaches Creative Writing at the University of Houston. - Nationality
- India
USA - Birthplace
- Kolkata, India
- Places of residence
- Kolkata, India
Dayton, Ohio, USA
Chicago, Illinois, USA
Sunnydale, California, USA
Berkeley, California, USA
Houston, Texas, USA - Map Location
- USA
India
Members
Reviews
Proclaimed by the author to be a feminist interpretation of the fundamental Indian religious tale The Ramayana, this narration is by Sita, the foundling who becomes the wife of the immortal god Ram and an avatar of the goddess Lakshmi. Their romance and relationship are fraught and laced with misery for both, but Sita's strength takes her to her own glory, power, and self-knowledge. The most dramatic parts of the retelling are Sita's kidnapping by the demon Ravan, including their veiled show more connection, and her love and admiration for Hanuman, the monkey god who joins RaM to defeat Ravan in battle. Their touching parting reminded me of the hobbits' farewell at Grey Havens at the end of Lord of the Rings. Ram, seen as an avatar of Lord Vishnu in Sita’s stunning vision , comes off as the ultimate politician, devoted to his people but willing to let their worse nature destroy his family. Sita's inner thoughts are magnificently portrayed in this moving, updated version where she becomes the true hero of the story. show less
I've been a fan of Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni for a while & this one didn't disappoint!
Korobi is seventeen & engaged to be married. But on the eve of the engagement party, her beloved Grandfather dies & the truth about her parents is revealed. So armed with the little knowledge she has about her father she flies to America to find him & learn more about her Mother as well as her identity.
One of the things I've always loved about CBH's stories is how saturated you feel by the Indian culture. show more The love of family & tradition are very strong themes in this story. It also deals with racism, grief & classism. Because of this I liked a lot of the secondary characters more than the primary characters. I loved Korobi & her Grandmother & relished their joys & cried with Korobi during her failed attempts to locate her father. I thought Rajat was a spoilt little, racist, predjudiced s*** & I couldn't stand his judgy, suspicious Mother. Pia however was a sweetheart & I loved Asif, the unseen chauffeur. All these characters & various story lines are woven together with CBH's usual literary magic. Reading her books is like transporting yourself to India. show less
Korobi is seventeen & engaged to be married. But on the eve of the engagement party, her beloved Grandfather dies & the truth about her parents is revealed. So armed with the little knowledge she has about her father she flies to America to find him & learn more about her Mother as well as her identity.
One of the things I've always loved about CBH's stories is how saturated you feel by the Indian culture. show more The love of family & tradition are very strong themes in this story. It also deals with racism, grief & classism. Because of this I liked a lot of the secondary characters more than the primary characters. I loved Korobi & her Grandmother & relished their joys & cried with Korobi during her failed attempts to locate her father. I thought Rajat was a spoilt little, racist, predjudiced s*** & I couldn't stand his judgy, suspicious Mother. Pia however was a sweetheart & I loved Asif, the unseen chauffeur. All these characters & various story lines are woven together with CBH's usual literary magic. Reading her books is like transporting yourself to India. show less
The Palace of Illusions is a retelling of the ancient Indian epic, the Mahabharata, from the perspective of the wife of the five Pandava brothers. It is a feminist reimagining told through the eyes of a fascinating female protagonist, Panchaali (Draupadi). The novel begins with her unusual birth from fire, and follows her life, which is marked by prophecies, passions, exile, war, and multiple tragedies.
This is a beautifully written novel. Divakaruni's prose is lyrical. She creates an show more atmospheric flowing narrative that weaves together mythic and historical events with intimate personal moments of Panchaali's inner life. Panchaali is intelligent, proud, and determined to forge her own destiny despite the constraints placed upon women in her society. We learn about Panchaali's complicated relationship with Krishna (the mortal incarnation of Vishnu), her conflicted feelings toward her five husbands, and her forbidden attraction to Karna (her husbands’ enemy).
The titular palace is built by the architect of the gods for the Pandavas. It serves as a metaphor for the impermanence of power and wealth, and perhaps life itself. I must admit that I have heard of the Mahabharata but have not read it. Despite this lack of familiarity, I easily became immersed in this story. I’m sure it would provide even more insights for those who know the epic well. It speaks to contemporary concerns about gender, power, and self-determination. It has inspired me to seek out more information about the original. show less
This is a beautifully written novel. Divakaruni's prose is lyrical. She creates an show more atmospheric flowing narrative that weaves together mythic and historical events with intimate personal moments of Panchaali's inner life. Panchaali is intelligent, proud, and determined to forge her own destiny despite the constraints placed upon women in her society. We learn about Panchaali's complicated relationship with Krishna (the mortal incarnation of Vishnu), her conflicted feelings toward her five husbands, and her forbidden attraction to Karna (her husbands’ enemy).
The titular palace is built by the architect of the gods for the Pandavas. It serves as a metaphor for the impermanence of power and wealth, and perhaps life itself. I must admit that I have heard of the Mahabharata but have not read it. Despite this lack of familiarity, I easily became immersed in this story. I’m sure it would provide even more insights for those who know the epic well. It speaks to contemporary concerns about gender, power, and self-determination. It has inspired me to seek out more information about the original. show less
From the very beginning of Sister of My Heart, Divakaruni dangles mysteries and secrets in front of the reader. Anju and Sudha are non-blood cousins, but as close as conjoined sisters. Both girls lost their fathers when they were newborns, but how? There is mystery surrounding their simultaneous demise. Each chapter of Sister of My Heart is told from the alternating viewpoints of Anju and Sudha. Each cousin's voice is too similar to discern but maybe, just maybe that is the point. Their love show more for one another, their bond makes them as close a singular entity. When one "sister" learns a deep family secret she is torn between keeping it and uncovering it. She needs to weigh the cost of each choice carefully.
This is the story of how one event can leave you scarred. Like a clogged artery, love cannot flow as easily. Secrets snag the once open heart. Is there a chance for forgiveness? show less
This is the story of how one event can leave you scarred. Like a clogged artery, love cannot flow as easily. Secrets snag the once open heart. Is there a chance for forgiveness? show less
Lists
Magic Realism (1)
All Things India (1)
Reading Globally (1)
Five star books (1)
AP Lit (1)
Fiction: Asia (1)
Indian Diaspora (1)
Awards
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Associated Authors
Statistics
- Works
- 36
- Also by
- 19
- Members
- 11,055
- Popularity
- #2,132
- Rating
- 3.7
- Reviews
- 414
- ISBNs
- 326
- Languages
- 18
- Favorited
- 35
