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
Associated Works
The Bitch in the House: 26 Women Tell the Truth About Sex, Solitude, Work, Motherhood, and Marriage (2002) — Contributor — 734 copies, 20 reviews
Mirror, Mirror on the Wall: Women Writers Explore Their Favorite Fairy Tales (1998) — Contributor — 311 copies, 4 reviews
Writers on Writing, 2: More Collected Essays from the New York Times (2003) — Contributor — 200 copies, 3 reviews
From Totems to Hip-Hop: A Multicultural Anthology of Poetry Across the Americas 1900-2002 (2002) — Contributor — 182 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 - Associated Place (for map)
- USA
Members
Reviews
This book was short and simple but strangely gripping. Organized like Chaucer's Canterbury Tales and just as poignantly unfinished, this novel is not easy to put down or forget. The language is direct and cuts each character into sharp relief. It's not as uplifting as advertised on the back cover, but it's very real and human.
This review was written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers.
~4.5
Everyone Indian kid would have read Mahabharata or atleast know what it is about. The Pandavas and their beautiful wife Draupadi, the Kauravas, the war, Bhagavat Gita.
I wanted to read this book ever since I knew this story would be said from Draupadi's voice. I never given Draupadi much thought. Yea I pitied her for the disrobing part and was angry at the Pandavas for this. Yea I was kind of satisfied that Draupadi had 5 husbands when it is usually other way around. I felt angry when show more Draupadi was the first to fall and the reason was that she favored Arjun the most. I never cared much about her because she followed her husbands like lap dog and it seemed that in ancient India that is the protocol.
Opinions of wives don't change a think. It's funny, these wives will one day be mothers. When that happens they are bodies of greatness and their thoughts shape the world.
"Remember that, little sister: wait for a man to avenge your honor, and you'll wait forever."
First time when I read the kids version of Mahabharata I didn't give a second thought of the harsh and cruel life she lived. I had given more thought on Kunti. Maybe because Draupadi was never voiced much. Maybe because all the Amar Chitra Kathakal that I read had the same pattern- when woman lives miserable and hard life, it feels good in your mouth and gives off a romantic vibe.What's more romantic than a beautiful, slender woman ready to depend on you for her entire life? Or maybe because of all those old tales that had wives following their husband because it was their dharma.
Anyway, I wanted to hear how she would be voiced. I knew I would see her in a stronger light and more human. I wasn't wrong there.
I did enjoy her voice. At the beginning I feared for the incidents that might happen. I felt like screaming don't do it! don't do it! every time she began i didn't know it then..., as if my internal screaming would change the already written story.
It's kind of funny, now that i think, does all woman think If i had married xyz, my life would have been better???
I am sure they do.
Draupadi kept thinking If i had married Karna... even at her last breath.
And that brings me too Karna. Yea I know what Karna did to Draupadi was obviously not good. I got angry, but that didn't stop my younger self from falling for him. He is the most beautiful, righteous, pitiful person I have read till then. I was utterly broken each time I read how he died. I couldn't stop thinking about him days after I read the kids version. Every time there was story about Karna in my Hindi text book, my insides warmed and grew heavy at the same time.
In fact, Karna could have been my first book boyfriend.
It's funny, reading how Draupadi felt for him.
This story could be seen as a lovestory that never happens.
I am sure of one think, if Karna is real and living, he would have thousands of Indian woman doting over him. In fact i think i am again going to fall for him. show less
Everyone Indian kid would have read Mahabharata or atleast know what it is about. The Pandavas and their beautiful wife Draupadi, the Kauravas, the war, Bhagavat Gita.
I wanted to read this book ever since I knew this story would be said from Draupadi's voice. I never given Draupadi much thought. Yea I pitied her for the disrobing part and was angry at the Pandavas for this. Yea I was kind of satisfied that Draupadi had 5 husbands when it is usually other way around. I felt angry when show more Draupadi was the first to fall and the reason was that she favored Arjun the most. I never cared much about her because she followed her husbands like lap dog and it seemed that in ancient India that is the protocol.
Opinions of wives don't change a think. It's funny, these wives will one day be mothers. When that happens they are bodies of greatness and their thoughts shape the world.
"Remember that, little sister: wait for a man to avenge your honor, and you'll wait forever."
First time when I read the kids version of Mahabharata I didn't give a second thought of the harsh and cruel life she lived. I had given more thought on Kunti. Maybe because Draupadi was never voiced much. Maybe because all the Amar Chitra Kathakal that I read had the same pattern- when woman lives miserable and hard life, it feels good in your mouth and gives off a romantic vibe.What's more romantic than a beautiful, slender woman ready to depend on you for her entire life? Or maybe because of all those old tales that had wives following their husband because it was their dharma.
Anyway, I wanted to hear how she would be voiced. I knew I would see her in a stronger light and more human. I wasn't wrong there.
I did enjoy her voice. At the beginning I feared for the incidents that might happen. I felt like screaming don't do it! don't do it! every time she began i didn't know it then..., as if my internal screaming would change the already written story.
It's kind of funny, now that i think, does all woman think If i had married xyz, my life would have been better???
I am sure they do.
Draupadi kept thinking If i had married Karna... even at her last breath.
And that brings me too Karna. Yea I know what Karna did to Draupadi was obviously not good. I got angry, but that didn't stop my younger self from falling for him. He is the most beautiful, righteous, pitiful person I have read till then. I was utterly broken each time I read how he died. I couldn't stop thinking about him days after I read the kids version. Every time there was story about Karna in my Hindi text book, my insides warmed and grew heavy at the same time.
In fact, Karna could have been my first book boyfriend.
It's funny, reading how Draupadi felt for him.
This story could be seen as a lovestory that never happens.
I am sure of one think, if Karna is real and living, he would have thousands of Indian woman doting over him. In fact i think i am again going to fall for him. 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)
Indian Diaspora (1)
Fiction: Asia (1)
Awards
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Associated Authors
Statistics
- Works
- 33
- Also by
- 19
- Members
- 11,016
- Popularity
- #2,146
- Rating
- 3.7
- Reviews
- 412
- ISBNs
- 326
- Languages
- 18
- Favorited
- 35
