Beyond the Book: Background information when reading The Conch Bearer

Beyond the Book

This article relates to The Conch Bearer

Divakaruni says she wrote the book for two reasons; firstly to give her two sons bragging rights that their mom had written a book and two of the heroes were named after them (sorry, I don't know which two!); and in our post 9/11 world, to give American children a book about children who might superficially seem very different to them, but in fact are not that different after all.

The Conch Bearer is the first in a planned trilogy. The second book, The Mirror of Fire and Dreaming is due to be released in September. Unlike many series books, The Conch Bearer reaches a satisfying conclusion in its own right.

Bibliography

The Brotherhood of the Conch Trilogy (Children)

• The Conch Bearer (2003)
• The Mirror of Fire and Dreaming (Sept 2005)

Novels

• The Mistress of Spices (1997)
• Sister of My Heart (1999)
• Neela: Victory Song (2002)
• The Vine of Desire (2002 - continuation of story started in Sister of My Heart)
• Queen of Dreams (2004)

Short Stories/Collections

• Reason for Nasturtiums (poems) (1990)
• Black Candle: Poems About Women from India, Pakistan, And Bangladesh (1991)
• Arranged Marriage: Stories (1996)
• Leaving Yuba City: Poems (1997)
• The Unknown Errors of Our Lives (Short stories 2001)

Filed under

This article relates to The Conch Bearer. It first ran in the March 2, 2005 issue of BookBrowse Recommends.