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The Palace of Illusions (Unabridged) 23 reviews
Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
audible.com
Panchali as a human
Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni's new book `The Palace of Illusions' may elicit a variety of responses from its readers based mainly on their background, understanding and loyalty to Indian epics rather than their standing as mere critics of a novel. As one who grew up with Hindu religious stories inculcated into me and as the legend of Mahabharatha with its heroes and villains influenced even my ...
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The Conch Bearer24 reviews
Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
Alladin Paperbacks, 2005
A great story
The Conch Bearer starts with a young Indian boy named Anand in the middle of what starts off as a routine day. He is a 12-year-old boy who because of his circumstances has to labor for minimal wages under a mean and nasty boss named Haru. Anand and his family are coping as best they can after having lost contact and support from his father. He can no longer afford the luxury of going to school, ...
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Neela: Victory Song (Girls of Many Lands) 13 reviews
Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
Turtleback Books Distributed by Demco Media, 2002
Beautiful Story line and Characters
This book is excellent! Neela, who is adventurous and brave (something very important in a good heroine), takes a dangerous trip to try to save her father with the aid of an intriguing freedom fighter during the era of protest over British rule. Every girl I have recommended this title to loved it, and I can't see why anyone would think this book is just "about a girl who doesn't want to get ...
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Sister of My Heart190 reviews
Chitra Divakaruni
Doubleday, 1999
An inspirational story of two sisters...
Set in a world of harsh reality, Anju and Sudha Chaterjee, two women born as cousins who assume the roles of sisters, attempt to brighten their short-lived days with their imaginations. In Calcutta, India, where they live, the Chaterjees are known as an upper caste family, despite the shame of not having a male figure in their house. But even their high status doesn't hide their dwindling ...
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Arranged Marriage72 reviews
Chitra Divakaruni
Doubleday, 1995
Arranged Marriage
A wonderful read. It prompted me to seek out other books Chitra Divakaruni has written. Although I enjoyed them all, this collection of short stories was the best. Very engaging characters told in a realistic manner---you feel you are connected to these people---I could not bear to put the book down until I had finished that particular story. Very enjoyable book!
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Unknown Errors of Our Lives19 reviews
Chitra Divakaruni
Doubleday Books, 2001
Insightful and Painful
Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni is an excellent author and her works captivate and cause one to reflect. In particular, this body of work illuminates painful consequences to sometimes innocent choices...or lack of any choice. This should appeal to any reflective person.
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The Mistress of Spices98 reviews
Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
Black Swan, 2006
Beautiful book much better than the movie!
I fell in love with the story when I watched the movie but it cannot ever compare to the actual book which was full of beautiful imagery and a lovely main character!
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Queen of Dreams15 reviews
Anchor, 2007
Another 5-star novel
I have now read 4 of Ms. Divakaruni's books, and hope she writes another novel soon. She has a tremendous gift to make her images come to life in your head as you are reading. I also felt again that I was being given a privileged tour of a culture different than my own, and could see my own culture through different eyes. So in addition to being entertained, I was being educated. Along with a ...
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The Mirror of Fire and Dreaming 5 reviews
Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
RST IndiaInk Publishing, 2006
Magical!
This book, the sequel to The Conch Bearer, mixes the sense of excitement that every book needs, a wonderful use of magic realism (which is illustrated by the fact that Anand, the main character, travels from the present day India to the ancient India, who'se realistic features are marred by the fact that Anand is a magician) , an overhanging gloom and really, really, really great writing.
This ...
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Leaving Yuba City: Poems5 reviews
Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
Topeka Bindery, 1997
Poems - mostly about Indian women - that tell little stories
This is the kind of collection that will turn poetry haters into poetry lovers (or at least poetry likers). Divakaruni tells moving little stories -- rather than addressing abstract ideas -- in these entertaining poems. My favorites were "Woman With Kite" and "The Makers of Chili Paste." Her poems are mostly about Indian women, though I found them universally moving
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The Best American Short Stories 1999 (The Best American Series (TM)) 20 reviews
Houghton Mifflin, 1999
A fine collection
I found this to be an excellent, thoughtfully assembled collection of stories. I must especially disagree with the reviewer who felt that having a b writer like Pam Houston in a collection with Rick Bass ammounts to a literary injustice. Quite to the contrary, Houston's story is the best in the book and bears re-reading. (And, if you've checked out John Updike's Best Short Stories of the ...
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California Uncovered: Stories For The 21st Century 2 reviews
Heyday Books, 2004
Made me think
A collection of short stories, excepts from novels, and a few poems sounded like a nice selection. I thought it would be something I could easily pick up and put down. Each story is about someone living in California - almost all told from the point of view of immigrants and from different time periods. I thought the idea was good, but I found that I missed the feel of short stories. Only one of ...
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Black Candle4 reviews
Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
CALYX Books, 1991
A supremely impressive collection rich in metaphor.
Black Candle is a supremely impressive collection of poetry rich with metaphor and set on the Indian sub-continent. These poems portray moving, palpable portraits of women's lives that will strike a universal chord of recognition and appreciation with the western reader. The Room: I have walked this corridor so many times/I no longer notice/the gouged floorboards, the brown light/washing the ...
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ANAND und der magische Spiegel
Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
Bloomsbury Kinderbucher & Jugendbucher, 2005
Written in German
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The Vine of Desire48 reviews
Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
Abacus, 2003
Companion to "Sister"
I read this book immediately after the first one--"Sister of my heart". As a complete story, she has provided a very compelling glimpse into the hearts of two women who are closer than sisters, closer than friends. Also, we get to glimpse another culture, and when the setting shifts to the USA, we get to see the American culture through immigrant eyes. I love this author and these books, and ...
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Multitude: Cross-Cultural Readings for Writers1 review
Chitra Divakaruni
McGraw-Hill Humanities/Social Sciences/Languages, 1996
Multicultural Anthology
prose and poetry from authors of many traditions. Each comes complete with questions for critical reading, thinking, discussion, and writing. Good training for writers of all kinds.
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Anand und das Geheimnis des Silbertals.
Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
Bloomsbury Kinderbuch, 2004
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