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Published Jan 2023
288 pages
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publication Information
Set during the partition of British India in 1947, a time when neighbor was pitted against neighbor and families were torn apart, award-winning author Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni's novel brings to life the sweeping story of three sisters caught up in events beyond their control, their unbreakable bond, and their incredible struggle against powerful odds.
India, 1947.
In a rural village in Bengal live three sisters, daughters of a well-respected doctor.
Priya: intelligent and idealistic, resolved to follow in her father's footsteps and become a doctor, though society frowns on it.
Deepa: the beauty, determined to make a marriage that will bring her family joy and status.
Jamini: devout, sharp-eyed, and a talented quiltmaker, with deeper passions than she reveals.
Theirs is a home of love and safety, a refuge from the violent events taking shape in the nation. Then their father is killed during a riot, and even their neighbors turn against them, bringing the events of their country closer to home.
As Priya determinedly pursues her career goal, Deepa falls deeply in love with a Muslim, causing her to break with her family. And Jamini attempts to hold her family together, even as she secretly longs for her sister's fiance.
When the partition of India is officially decided, a drastic—and dangerous—change is in the air. India is now for Hindus, Pakistan for Muslims. The sisters find themselves separated from one another, each on different paths. They fear for what will happen to not just themselves, but each other.
Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni outdoes herself with this deeply moving story of sisterhood and friendship, painting an account of India's independence simultaneously exhilarating and devastating, that will make any reader—new or old—a devoted fan.
"Divakaruni seamlessly weaves the political upheaval into the characters' lives, including the nation's bereavement after Gandhi's assassination and Priya's meeting with the female resistance leader Sarojini Naidu, while also depicting the beauty, vitality, and vastness of India. This is a must." - Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"Divakaruni's latest brilliant novel coincides with the seventy-fifth anniversary of the independence of India from British rule and its partition into India, Pakistan, and East Pakistan (now Bangladesh). With great attention to detail regarding the political and religious upheaval this caused and its impact on ordinary citizens, Divakaruni tells a highly nuanced tale of a Hindu Bengali family living in the village of Ranipur near Calcutta." - Booklist (starred review)
"A moving depiction of family life following great loss." - Kirkus Reviews
"A powerful, gripping, and beautifully told story of three women navigating the crossroads of history. Divakaruni's eye is both unflinching and deeply compassionate, encompassing all the complexities of the sisters' lives. I couldn't put it down." - Madeline Miller, New York Times bestselling author of Circe and Song of Achilles
"I have long been a fan of Chitra Divakaruni's novels, but Independence is now my favorite. She tells the story of India's independence through the eyes of three sisters, each of whom is uniquely different, with her own desires and flaws. I cheered for them and cried with them as they move through the history of their country that is at once devastating, inspiring, and triumphant. You will, too." - Lisa See, #1 New York Times bestselling author
"A spellbinding saga of the decolonization and partition of the Indian subcontinent, with a cast of vividly drawn, compelling characters." - Amitav Ghosh, award-winning author
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Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
© Anand Divakaruni
Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni is an award-winning and bestselling author, activist, and professor. Her work has been published in over fifty magazines, including The Atlantic and The New Yorker, and included in The Best American Short Stories and The O. Henry Prize Stories. Her books have been translated into twenty-nine languages, including Dutch, Hebrew, Bengali, Russian, and Japanese. Several have been used for campus-wide reads and made into films and plays. She teaches at the University of Houston.
Author Interview
Link to Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni's Website
Name Pronunciation
Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni: chi-TH-rah ban-ERH-jee deewah-karoonee
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