Makes you want to take a trip to India, 04 Jun 2008
I did it the wrong way round and watch the movie first and then started reading the book. The book however stands on it's own. The descriptions given makes you really feel you are their in part of the book. It sets your mind a float on so much possibilities out there. I really good read.

CONFUSING, 15 Dec 2007


the film adaptation is miles better - don't waste your money. I really wanted to like this in fact I endured 200 or so pages then had to give in, I couldn't face the last 50 or so pages. Painful.

Simple, yet refreshingly different, 25 Jun 2007

I was merely curious when I purchased this book, and so my expectations were not that great. However, having started to read it, I soon began to feel that this was going to be very good - and I wasn't disappointed! Do not be misled by either the cover or synopsis of this particular read, as it is so much more exciting than is subtlety hinted at. The story is absorbing, and is dealing with some very strong and natural desires of a fantastical world, and often in an unsentimental way, yet is still very moving.

I was really living the life of this old lady after only a few chapters and everything she thinks and feels and yearns for became my own craving, and one cannot but help to become part of her character as the novel unfolds. Though little appears to be said about each character's background (personality-wise) it is extremely simple to create visions of these people. I was constantly in anticipation as to how this story would end, and thought it very predictable, but apart from being totally wrong in my guessing at the outcome, it was far more abrupt than I could have ever expected - I kept looking to see if I'd lost a page!

I cannot help but recommend this book to anyone who wishes to read something refreshingly different and totally wonderful.

Definitely five stars!

Another food-and-mysticism mistake, 08 May 2007
We just read this for our book group and the verdict was fairly unanimous; it's poorly-crafted, with no real focus. The author may be trying to recreate the kind of sensual food-and-romance feeling of Chocolat or Blackberry Wine, but in fact it's a dreadful jumble of little stories that go nowhere, while the love affair which is key to the story is apallingly juvenile and breathless. I wouldn't if I were you.

Exotic & mysterious, 03 Mar 2007
There are books that, although nothing much happens, they still give the impression of many things bubbling under the surface - this is one of them. Not dissimilar to Alice Hoffman's Practical Magic, this is a story of the magic in the mundane, only in this case, rather than trying to fit in and be "normal", the narrator tries desperately to hang onto her mystery and magic, all the while battling her own desires in order to remain a Mistress of Spices. It's a voyage of self-discovery, of living in a foreign land and trying to maintain the elements of home in a new country. It's also, ultimately, a story of hope - that perhaps a woman really can have it all if she dares.

The style is at once flowing and jarring; a mix of flowing thought and halting speech that feels both familiar and foreign - a novel of extreme contrasts. The characters are fragile and all too human, afraid of losing their roots, but hoping for a better life in America than they had in India. There's something absolutely charming about this story that I can't quite put my finger on, almost as if one was under a spell while reading it that lingers after you've finished the last page. Absorbing, exotic and mysterious.

Makes you want to take a trip to India, 04 Jun 2008
I did it the wrong way round and watch the movie first and then started reading the book. The book however stands on it's own. The descriptions given makes you really feel you are their in part of the book. It sets your mind a float on so much possibilities out there. I really good read.

CONFUSING, 15 Dec 2007


the film adaptation is miles better - don't waste your money. I really wanted to like this in fact I endured 200 or so pages then had to give in, I couldn't face the last 50 or so pages. Painful.

Simple, yet refreshingly different, 25 Jun 2007

I was merely curious when I purchased this book, and so my expectations were not that great. However, having started to read it, I soon began to feel that this was going to be very good - and I wasn't disappointed! Do not be misled by either the cover or synopsis of this particular read, as it is so much more exciting than is subtlety hinted at. The story is absorbing, and is dealing with some very strong and natural desires of a fantastical world, and often in an unsentimental way, yet is still very moving.

I was really living the life of this old lady after only a few chapters and everything she thinks and feels and yearns for became my own craving, and one cannot but help to become part of her character as the novel unfolds. Though little appears to be said about each character's background (personality-wise) it is extremely simple to create visions of these people. I was constantly in anticipation as to how this story would end, and thought it very predictable, but apart from being totally wrong in my guessing at the outcome, it was far more abrupt than I could have ever expected - I kept looking to see if I'd lost a page!

I cannot help but recommend this book to anyone who wishes to read something refreshingly different and totally wonderful.

Definitely five stars!

Another food-and-mysticism mistake, 08 May 2007
We just read this for our book group and the verdict was fairly unanimous; it's poorly-crafted, with no real focus. The author may be trying to recreate the kind of sensual food-and-romance feeling of Chocolat or Blackberry Wine, but in fact it's a dreadful jumble of little stories that go nowhere, while the love affair which is key to the story is apallingly juvenile and breathless. I wouldn't if I were you.

Exotic & mysterious, 03 Mar 2007
There are books that, although nothing much happens, they still give the impression of many things bubbling under the surface - this is one of them. Not dissimilar to Alice Hoffman's Practical Magic, this is a story of the magic in the mundane, only in this case, rather than trying to fit in and be "normal", the narrator tries desperately to hang onto her mystery and magic, all the while battling her own desires in order to remain a Mistress of Spices. It's a voyage of self-discovery, of living in a foreign land and trying to maintain the elements of home in a new country. It's also, ultimately, a story of hope - that perhaps a woman really can have it all if she dares.

The style is at once flowing and jarring; a mix of flowing thought and halting speech that feels both familiar and foreign - a novel of extreme contrasts. The characters are fragile and all too human, afraid of losing their roots, but hoping for a better life in America than they had in India. There's something absolutely charming about this story that I can't quite put my finger on, almost as if one was under a spell while reading it that lingers after you've finished the last page. Absorbing, exotic and mysterious.

whine whine whine, 25 Nov 2002
Boring. Predictable. Boring.

This may be new material for Americans, but the British audience has investigated the themes in these stories a million times over. Totally dull. The only feeling I have is sorrow for the author who seems completely disillusioned with "Indians living in America" and "Indian marriage".

If you want a beautiful set of short stories, please read "A River Sutra". There was only one story in this collection which wasn't totally painful, but it wasn't worth buying the book for.

Feelings of thousands conveyed ..., 28 Apr 2002
Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni manages to convey the feelings of thousands of Indian women who have faced similiar situations in this collection of short stories. All the women face the daunting task of leaving behind their family and friends and starting their lives with their husbands in a land they have only seen in the movies. It illustrates the struggles and passions of the women as they try to merge their cultural upbringing into the western world. Each of the stories will leave you wanting more. My favourite of the old grandma who comes to join her son and his wife, and finds they are not the same people they were in India but are totally submerged into the American life-style. All who read this novel will be fascinated by the dept of feeling and emotions Chitra has portrayed in each of the characters of the book. I look forward to reading may more of her novels.

Very beautiful, 29 Jun 2000
I have just finished reading this book and highly recommend it. Each story will have you fixed and yes I have stayed up till late to finish reading some of the chapters. On the down side some stories leave you to reach your own conclusion and a couple are quite sad, however it's a must read.

Simply beautiful, 22 Sep 1999
This book is a collection of 11 short stories. Each story tells the tale of the life of an Indian woman in America and surprise surprise, most are about their marriages. I didn't find it repetitive as each story was distinct in it's own right. I found this book very memorable and engaging. The author has a great talent for totally engrossing the reader within a short time which is a difficult talent especially when writing short stories. This is one of the few books I have read that will remain truly memorable and that I would gladly read again cover to cover.

Makes you want to take a trip to India, 04 Jun 2008
I did it the wrong way round and watch the movie first and then started reading the book. The book however stands on it's own. The descriptions given makes you really feel you are their in part of the book. It sets your mind a float on so much possibilities out there. I really good read.

CONFUSING, 15 Dec 2007


the film adaptation is miles better - don't waste your money. I really wanted to like this in fact I endured 200 or so pages then had to give in, I couldn't face the last 50 or so pages. Painful.

Simple, yet refreshingly different, 25 Jun 2007

I was merely curious when I purchased this book, and so my expectations were not that great. However, having started to read it, I soon began to feel that this was going to be very good - and I wasn't disappointed! Do not be misled by either the cover or synopsis of this particular read, as it is so much more exciting than is subtlety hinted at. The story is absorbing, and is dealing with some very strong and natural desires of a fantastical world, and often in an unsentimental way, yet is still very moving.

I was really living the life of this old lady after only a few chapters and everything she thinks and feels and yearns for became my own craving, and one cannot but help to become part of her character as the novel unfolds. Though little appears to be said about each character's background (personality-wise) it is extremely simple to create visions of these people. I was constantly in anticipation as to how this story would end, and thought it very predictable, but apart from being totally wrong in my guessing at the outcome, it was far more abrupt than I could have ever expected - I kept looking to see if I'd lost a page!

I cannot help but recommend this book to anyone who wishes to read something refreshingly different and totally wonderful.

Definitely five stars!

Another food-and-mysticism mistake, 08 May 2007
We just read this for our book group and the verdict was fairly unanimous; it's poorly-crafted, with no real focus. The author may be trying to recreate the kind of sensual food-and-romance feeling of Chocolat or Blackberry Wine, but in fact it's a dreadful jumble of little stories that go nowhere, while the love affair which is key to the story is apallingly juvenile and breathless. I wouldn't if I were you.

Exotic & mysterious, 03 Mar 2007
There are books that, although nothing much happens, they still give the impression of many things bubbling under the surface - this is one of them. Not dissimilar to Alice Hoffman's Practical Magic, this is a story of the magic in the mundane, only in this case, rather than trying to fit in and be "normal", the narrator tries desperately to hang onto her mystery and magic, all the while battling her own desires in order to remain a Mistress of Spices. It's a voyage of self-discovery, of living in a foreign land and trying to maintain the elements of home in a new country. It's also, ultimately, a story of hope - that perhaps a woman really can have it all if she dares.

The style is at once flowing and jarring; a mix of flowing thought and halting speech that feels both familiar and foreign - a novel of extreme contrasts. The characters are fragile and all too human, afraid of losing their roots, but hoping for a better life in America than they had in India. There's something absolutely charming about this story that I can't quite put my finger on, almost as if one was under a spell while reading it that lingers after you've finished the last page. Absorbing, exotic and mysterious.

whine whine whine, 25 Nov 2002
Boring. Predictable. Boring.

This may be new material for Americans, but the British audience has investigated the themes in these stories a million times over. Totally dull. The only feeling I have is sorrow for the author who seems completely disillusioned with "Indians living in America" and "Indian marriage".

If you want a beautiful set of short stories, please read "A River Sutra". There was only one story in this collection which wasn't totally painful, but it wasn't worth buying the book for.

Feelings of thousands conveyed ..., 28 Apr 2002
Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni manages to convey the feelings of thousands of Indian women who have faced similiar situations in this collection of short stories. All the women face the daunting task of leaving behind their family and friends and starting their lives with their husbands in a land they have only seen in the movies. It illustrates the struggles and passions of the women as they try to merge their cultural upbringing into the western world. Each of the stories will leave you wanting more. My favourite of the old grandma who comes to join her son and his wife, and finds they are not the same people they were in India but are totally submerged into the American life-style. All who read this novel will be fascinated by the dept of feeling and emotions Chitra has portrayed in each of the characters of the book. I look forward to reading may more of her novels.

Very beautiful, 29 Jun 2000
I have just finished reading this book and highly recommend it. Each story will have you fixed and yes I have stayed up till late to finish reading some of the chapters. On the down side some stories leave you to reach your own conclusion and a couple are quite sad, however it's a must read.

Simply beautiful, 22 Sep 1999
This book is a collection of 11 short stories. Each story tells the tale of the life of an Indian woman in America and surprise surprise, most are about their marriages. I didn't find it repetitive as each story was distinct in it's own right. I found this book very memorable and engaging. The author has a great talent for totally engrossing the reader within a short time which is a difficult talent especially when writing short stories. This is one of the few books I have read that will remain truly memorable and that I would gladly read again cover to cover.

gripping!, 06 Oct 2008
The story of the Mahabharat through the eyes of Draupadi.
It shows how noble men also had very human weakness.

Once i started reading it I couldnt put it down.
A lovely take on an already magical classic.

Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni made an indelible impression on the literary world with her first novel, The Mistress of Spices, a magical tale of love and herbs. Sister of My Heart is less reliant on enchantment but no less enchanting as it tells the tale of two cousins born on the same day, their premature births brought on by a mysterious occurrence that claims the lives of both their fathers. Sudha is beautiful, Anju is not; yet the girls love each other as sisters, the bond between them so strong it seems nothing can break it. When both are pushed into arranged marriages, however, each discovers a devastating secret that changes their relationship forever.

Sister of My Heart spans many years and zigzags between India and America as the cousins first grow apart and then eventually reunite. Divakaruni invests this domestic drama with poetry as she traces her heroines' lives from infancy to motherhood, but it is Sudha and Anju who give the story its backbone. Anju might speak for both when she says: "In spite of all my insecurities, in spite of the oceans that'll be between us soon and the men that are between us already, I can never stop loving Sudha. It's my habit and it's my fate." Book-lovers may well discover that reading Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni is habit-forming as well. --Margaret Prior

Makes you want to take a trip to India, 04 Jun 2008
I did it the wrong way round and watch the movie first and then started reading the book. The book however stands on it's own. The descriptions given makes you really feel you are their in part of the book. It sets your mind a float on so much possibilities out there. I really good read.

CONFUSING, 15 Dec 2007


the film adaptation is miles better - don't waste your money. I really wanted to like this in fact I endured 200 or so pages then had to give in, I couldn't face the last 50 or so pages. Painful.

Simple, yet refreshingly different, 25 Jun 2007

I was merely curious when I purchased this book, and so my expectations were not that great. However, having started to read it, I soon began to feel that this was going to be very good - and I wasn't disappointed! Do not be misled by either the cover or synopsis of this particular read, as it is so much more exciting than is subtlety hinted at. The story is absorbing, and is dealing with some very strong and natural desires of a fantastical world, and often in an unsentimental way, yet is still very moving.

I was really living the life of this old lady after only a few chapters and everything she thinks and feels and yearns for became my own craving, and one cannot but help to become part of her character as the novel unfolds. Though little appears to be said about each character's background (personality-wise) it is extremely simple to create visions of these people. I was constantly in anticipation as to how this story would end, and thought it very predictable, but apart from being totally wrong in my guessing at the outcome, it was far more abrupt than I could have ever expected - I kept looking to see if I'd lost a page!

I cannot help but recommend this book to anyone who wishes to read something refreshingly different and totally wonderful.

Definitely five stars!

Another food-and-mysticism mistake, 08 May 2007
We just read this for our book group and the verdict was fairly unanimous; it's poorly-crafted, with no real focus. The author may be trying to recreate the kind of sensual food-and-romance feeling of Chocolat or Blackberry Wine, but in fact it's a dreadful jumble of little stories that go nowhere, while the love affair which is key to the story is apallingly juvenile and breathless. I wouldn't if I were you.

Exotic & mysterious, 03 Mar 2007
There are books that, although nothing much happens, they still give the impression of many things bubbling under the surface - this is one of them. Not dissimilar to Alice Hoffman's Practical Magic, this is a story of the magic in the mundane, only in this case, rather than trying to fit in and be "normal", the narrator tries desperately to hang onto her mystery and magic, all the while battling her own desires in order to remain a Mistress of Spices. It's a voyage of self-discovery, of living in a foreign land and trying to maintain the elements of home in a new country. It's also, ultimately, a story of hope - that perhaps a woman really can have it all if she dares.

The style is at once flowing and jarring; a mix of flowing thought and halting speech that feels both familiar and foreign - a novel of extreme contrasts. The characters are fragile and all too human, afraid of losing their roots, but hoping for a better life in America than they had in India. There's something absolutely charming about this story that I can't quite put my finger on, almost as if one was under a spell while reading it that lingers after you've finished the last page. Absorbing, exotic and mysterious.

whine whine whine, 25 Nov 2002
Boring. Predictable. Boring.

This may be new material for Americans, but the British audience has investigated the themes in these stories a million times over. Totally dull. The only feeling I have is sorrow for the author who seems completely disillusioned with "Indians living in America" and "Indian marriage".

If you want a beautiful set of short stories, please read "A River Sutra". There was only one story in this collection which wasn't totally painful, but it wasn't worth buying the book for.

Feelings of thousands conveyed ..., 28 Apr 2002
Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni manages to convey the feelings of thousands of Indian women who have faced similiar situations in this collection of short stories. All the women face the daunting task of leaving behind their family and friends and starting their lives with their husbands in a land they have only seen in the movies. It illustrates the struggles and passions of the women as they try to merge their cultural upbringing into the western world. Each of the stories will leave you wanting more. My favourite of the old grandma who comes to join her son and his wife, and finds they are not the same people they were in India but are totally submerged into the American life-style. All who read this novel will be fascinated by the dept of feeling and emotions Chitra has portrayed in each of the characters of the book. I look forward to reading may more of her novels.

Very beautiful, 29 Jun 2000
I have just finished reading this book and highly recommend it. Each story will have you fixed and yes I have stayed up till late to finish reading some of the chapters. On the down side some stories leave you to reach your own conclusion and a couple are quite sad, however it's a must read.

Simply beautiful, 22 Sep 1999
This book is a collection of 11 short stories. Each story tells the tale of the life of an Indian woman in America and surprise surprise, most are about their marriages. I didn't find it repetitive as each story was distinct in it's own right. I found this book very memorable and engaging. The author has a great talent for totally engrossing the reader within a short time which is a difficult talent especially when writing short stories. This is one of the few books I have read that will remain truly memorable and that I would gladly read again cover to cover.

gripping!, 06 Oct 2008
The story of the Mahabharat through the eyes of Draupadi.
It shows how noble men also had very human weakness.

Once i started reading it I couldnt put it down.
A lovely take on an already magical classic.

A Beautiful tale of womanhood, 24 Jul 2007
After having read this book, I bought it for my Mother, and recommended it to all my girlfriends. It is a beautifully told story of two sisters, the choices they make, and those they can't. I cried through the last 50 or so pages, as much because I do not have a sister to share it with...

Another original, heartwarming read from Divakaruni, 04 Jan 2007
Sudha and Anju are cousins born on the same day - they are as close as the closest of sisters and the best of friends.

Set against a background of tales, traditions and customs of India, `Sister of my Heart' lets us get a glimpse into Indian culture, but as with `Mistress of Spices' it's the author's obvious love for each of her characters that makes this book really shine.

This is a heartwarming, unusual and beautifully written story and I'd definitely recommend taking the time to read it.


Over whelming, 16 Apr 2005
this book was well written and breathtaking in every sense, I was a little unsure before starting but as soon as I read the first page I was intrigued, Into the story of Sudha and Anju ....
With writing that made me laugh "its an unfair world where women are expected to have husbands and feel grateful for them as well and it time it made me cry and feel true sorrow for the charecters,"if only I could burn away my past like this .

I will only say a few more words,
Once you have read this book you will feel like you have experienced something else...

Simply fabulous, 01 Aug 2003
From the moment you turn the first page of this book, you enter the lives of the 2 heroines. The writing style is amazing, I couldn't put the book down. It was very descriptive and I truly felt a part of the character's lives. I would recommend this book to anyone.

I loved this book, I lived in it for a week of commuting, 14 Jan 2002
All I can say is that if Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni had written as many books as Anne Tyler and Margaret Atwood I would be a very happy person as there would be so much more of her magical world to inhabit. I'm longing for her new book to appear, having read everything else. I have to say that if you haven't read anything by her, start with this one and then read the Mistress of Spices as the novels are better than the short stories - and the reason why is that her short stories are so good you feel bereft after the few pages you have because you feel there's a novel in each one waiting to be written.

Makes you want to take a trip to India, 04 Jun 2008
I did it the wrong way round and watch the movie first and then started reading the book. The book however stands on it's own. The descriptions given makes you really feel you are their in part of the book. It sets your mind a float on so much possibilities out there. I really good read.

CONFUSING, 15 Dec 2007


the film adaptation is miles better - don't waste your money. I really wanted to like this in fact I endured 200 or so pages then had to give in, I couldn't face the last 50 or so pages. Painful.

Simple, yet refreshingly different, 25 Jun 2007

I was merely curious when I purchased this book, and so my expectations were not that great. However, having started to read it, I soon began to feel that this was going to be very good - and I wasn't disappointed! Do not be misled by either the cover or synopsis of this particular read, as it is so much more exciting than is subtlety hinted at. The story is absorbing, and is dealing with some very strong and natural desires of a fantastical world, and often in an unsentimental way, yet is still very moving.

I was really living the life of this old lady after only a few chapters and everything she thinks and feels and yearns for became my own craving, and one cannot but help to become part of her character as the novel unfolds. Though little appears to be said about each character's background (personality-wise) it is extremely simple to create visions of these people. I was constantly in anticipation as to how this story would end, and thought it very predictable, but apart from being totally wrong in my guessing at the outcome, it was far more abrupt than I could have ever expected - I kept looking to see if I'd lost a page!

I cannot help but recommend this book to anyone who wishes to read something refreshingly different and totally wonderful.

Definitely five stars!

Another food-and-mysticism mistake, 08 May 2007
We just read this for our book group and the verdict was fairly unanimous; it's poorly-crafted, with no real focus. The author may be trying to recreate the kind of sensual food-and-romance feeling of Chocolat or Blackberry Wine, but in fact it's a dreadful jumble of little stories that go nowhere, while the love affair which is key to the story is apallingly juvenile and breathless. I wouldn't if I were you.

Exotic & mysterious, 03 Mar 2007
There are books that, although nothing much happens, they still give the impression of many things bubbling under the surface - this is one of them. Not dissimilar to Alice Hoffman's Practical Magic, this is a story of the magic in the mundane, only in this case, rather than trying to fit in and be "normal", the narrator tries desperately to hang onto her mystery and magic, all the while battling her own desires in order to remain a Mistress of Spices. It's a voyage of self-discovery, of living in a foreign land and trying to maintain the elements of home in a new country. It's also, ultimately, a story of hope - that perhaps a woman really can have it all if she dares.

The style is at once flowing and jarring; a mix of flowing thought and halting speech that feels both familiar and foreign - a novel of extreme contrasts. The characters are fragile and all too human, afraid of losing their roots, but hoping for a better life in America than they had in India. There's something absolutely charming about this story that I can't quite put my finger on, almost as if one was under a spell while reading it that lingers after you've finished the last page. Absorbing, exotic and mysterious.

whine whine whine, 25 Nov 2002
Boring. Predictable. Boring.

This may be new material for Americans, but the British audience has investigated the themes in these stories a million times over. Totally dull. The only feeling I have is sorrow for the author who seems completely disillusioned with "Indians living in America" and "Indian marriage".

If you want a beautiful set of short stories, please read "A River Sutra". There was only one story in this collection which wasn't totally painful, but it wasn't worth buying the book for.

Feelings of thousands conveyed ..., 28 Apr 2002
Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni manages to convey the feelings of thousands of Indian women who have faced similiar situations in this collection of short stories. All the women face the daunting task of leaving behind their family and friends and starting their lives with their husbands in a land they have only seen in the movies. It illustrates the struggles and passions of the women as they try to merge their cultural upbringing into the western world. Each of the stories will leave you wanting more. My favourite of the old grandma who comes to join her son and his wife, and finds they are not the same people they were in India but are totally submerged into the American life-style. All who read this novel will be fascinated by the dept of feeling and emotions Chitra has portrayed in each of the characters of the book. I look forward to reading may more of her novels.

Very beautiful, 29 Jun 2000
I have just finished reading this book and highly recommend it. Each story will have you fixed and yes I have stayed up till late to finish reading some of the chapters. On the down side some stories leave you to reach your own conclusion and a couple are quite sad, however it's a must read.

Simply beautiful, 22 Sep 1999
This book is a collection of 11 short stories. Each story tells the tale of the life of an Indian woman in America and surprise surprise, most are about their marriages. I didn't find it repetitive as each story was distinct in it's own right. I found this book very memorable and engaging. The author has a great talent for totally engrossing the reader within a short time which is a difficult talent especially when writing short stories. This is one of the few books I have read that will remain truly memorable and that I would gladly read again cover to cover.

gripping!, 06 Oct 2008
The story of the Mahabharat through the eyes of Draupadi.
It shows how noble men also had very human weakness.

Once i started reading it I couldnt put it down.
A lovely take on an already magical classic.

A Beautiful tale of womanhood, 24 Jul 2007
After having read this book, I bought it for my Mother, and recommended it to all my girlfriends. It is a beautifully told story of two sisters, the choices they make, and those they can't. I cried through the last 50 or so pages, as much because I do not have a sister to share it with...

Another original, heartwarming read from Divakaruni, 04 Jan 2007
Sudha and Anju are cousins born on the same day - they are as close as the closest of sisters and the best of friends.

Set against a background of tales, traditions and customs of India, `Sister of my Heart' lets us get a glimpse into Indian culture, but as with `Mistress of Spices' it's the author's obvious love for each of her characters that makes this book really shine.

This is a heartwarming, unusual and beautifully written story and I'd definitely recommend taking the time to read it.


Over whelming, 16 Apr 2005
this book was well written and breathtaking in every sense, I was a little unsure before starting but as soon as I read the first page I was intrigued, Into the story of Sudha and Anju ....
With writing that made me laugh "its an unfair world where women are expected to have husbands and feel grateful for them as well and it time it made me cry and feel true sorrow for the charecters,"if only I could burn away my past like this .

I will only say a few more words,
Once you have read this book you will feel like you have experienced something else...

Simply fabulous, 01 Aug 2003
From the moment you turn the first page of this book, you enter the lives of the 2 heroines. The writing style is amazing, I couldn't put the book down. It was very descriptive and I truly felt a part of the character's lives. I would recommend this book to anyone.

I loved this book, I lived in it for a week of commuting, 14 Jan 2002
All I can say is that if Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni had written as many books as Anne Tyler and Margaret Atwood I would be a very happy person as there would be so much more of her magical world to inhabit. I'm longing for her new book to appear, having read everything else. I have to say that if you haven't read anything by her, start with this one and then read the Mistress of Spices as the novels are better than the short stories - and the reason why is that her short stories are so good you feel bereft after the few pages you have because you feel there's a novel in each one waiting to be written.

A fine piece of prose about the Indian culture, 25 Jan 2008
The Vine of Desire by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni shows the literacy talents and skills of author. Most of her novels are based on specific events, as the Vine of Desire reveals. The novel is set in the early 90's with 0J Simpson case dominating headlines.

The novel continues to capitalise on the Indian theme from a Bengali perspective. The characters are native Indians from Calcutta, who have embarked on a fresh life in San Francisco. America is labelled as the land of opportunities as many would agree with. The main characters include Sunil and two close cousins Anju and Sudha. The previous novel "Sister of my Heart" introduces the characters to the reader, but the Vine of Desire takes it step further by showing how one event can change everything. Is the close bonding between the cousins been threatened by this new event? That is the general gist of the story.

Numerous novels address the theme of how Eastern and Western values conflicts. The Vine of Desire surely represents one perspective from a personal point of view. Writing is a means of expressing yourself, by using your own experience and knowledge to narrate a story. The Vine of Desire is a fine piece of prose about the Indian culture. It is beautifully written, with sharp observations, colourful language and unique writing style. These special qualities propels this novel to a delightful and enjoyable read.

An anti climax after "Sister of my heart", 29 Jun 2007
I really enjoyed sister of my heart which was the first book in this series. I was looking forward to reading vine of desire but it started off boring and continues. Somehow the characters lost thie original characters and took on new ones.. without spoiling it for anyone who hasn't read it, I just found sudha's character completely ubelievable.
i also read mistress of spices by te same author and again wasn't particularly impressed. sister of my heart is good though

A brilliant read., 09 Jul 2004
Divakaruni's sequal to "Sister of my Heart" is a brilliantly constructed piece of literature. Although benificial to read "Sister" first it is not necessary as the important details of their past are presented tp the reader as thoughts in the characters' heads.
The work shows Divakaruni's abilty to write characters that stretch across boundries of race. While there are certain undertones unique to the Bengali culture the situations and reactuions of Sudah, Anju and Sunil are universal.

slow but captivating, 02 Apr 2003
Initially the story was hard to work around, you feel as though you're being thrown into the deep-end without expecting it! Eventually the clouds clear and things start falling into place and you are left with that unavoidable feeling of "I can't put this book down / I want to know where this is going". I would recommend this book to everyone if not for the story at least for the forgotten emotion it awakens.

Suffers from sequel-itis., 21 Jan 2003
The Prologue of this novel, a birthing scene, is masterful--a classic example of the canon of fiction in which the writer creates a scene so vibrant and specific that the reader experiences it vicariously and draws conclusions about its characters on his own. Unfortunately, the immediacy of the Prologue is not sustained. In this sequel to Sister of My Heart, the author follows the three main characters after they leave India for the United States, giving the reader some background about them, and also including their large "support system" back home. But characters who were important in the first book (virtually all of them except the triangle of Anju, Sunil, and Sudha) have no direct role in this story at all, and their inclusion here, via letters, diaries, flashbacks, and references, serves as filler, a distraction, rather than as an integral part of the action.

Anju's invitation to her cousin and dearest friend, Sudha, and her baby, to stay with Anju and her husband in their tiny apartment, sets the stage for what might have been an intense study of characters interacting. Instead, the author backs off, "telling about" what's happening, rather than creating scenes. She also "tells about" the characters, rather than allowing us to draw conclusions from the action on our own. Sentences, such as the following, are common: "He should have known by now that Anju wasn't one to hide her meanings," "These are what the people closest to me are afraid of...," followed by a list, or "What fibers of steel are woven into Sudha's will..." Instead of creating intense scenes that directly involve the reader's heart, Divakaruni often becomes cute, involving the reader by addressing him/her directly, "Can you sense inside him the desire for speed?" or, when Sudha gets a letter, "We want Sudha to open her letter, but she goes about her daily chores with exasperating meticulousness," and "Have we underestimated Sudha?"

Though the book is just published in 2002, the author has chosen to set the action in 1994 in order to draw deliberate parallels between what is happening in this triangle and the O.J. Simpson case, with which Sunil is obsessed. This artifice continues when Sunil returns home temporarily to help his mother settle his father's estate: "It is the year of exiles returning home: Arafat to Gaza, Solzhenitsyn to Russia, and Sunil to a childhood he thinks of as an unhealed wound," not exactly comparable events. This is a simple, episodic tale written by an author whose work here lacks the subtlety and clear point of view one has come to expect from her previous writing. Mary Whipple

Makes you want to take a trip to India, 04 Jun 2008
I did it the wrong way round and watch the movie first and then started reading the book. The book however stands on it's own. The descriptions given makes you really feel you are their in part of the book. It sets your mind a float on so much possibilities out there. I really good read.

CONFUSING, 15 Dec 2007


the film adaptation is miles better - don't waste your money. I really wanted to like this in fact I endured 200 or so pages then had to give in, I couldn't face the last 50 or so pages. Painful.

Simple, yet refreshingly different, 25 Jun 2007

I was merely curious when I purchased this book, and so my expectations were not that great. However, having started to read it, I soon began to feel that this was going to be very good - and I wasn't disappointed! Do not be misled by either the cover or synopsis of this particular read, as it is so much more exciting than is subtlety hinted at. The story is absorbing, and is dealing with some very strong and natural desires of a fantastical world, and often in an unsentimental way, yet is still very moving.

I was really living the life of this old lady after only a few chapters and everything she thinks and feels and yearns for became my own craving, and one cannot but help to become part of her character as the novel unfolds. Though little appears to be said about each character's background (personality-wise) it is extremely simple to create visions of these people. I was constantly in anticipation as to how this story would end, and thought it very predictable, but apart from being totally wrong in my guessing at the outcome, it was far more abrupt than I could have ever expected - I kept looking to see if I'd lost a page!

I cannot help but recommend this book to anyone who wishes to read something refreshingly different and totally wonderful.

Definitely five stars!

Another food-and-mysticism mistake, 08 May 2007
We just read this for our book group and the verdict was fairly unanimous; it's poorly-crafted, with no real focus. The author may be trying to recreate the kind of sensual food-and-romance feeling of Chocolat or Blackberry Wine, but in fact it's a dreadful jumble of little stories that go nowhere, while the love affair which is key to the story is apallingly juvenile and breathless. I wouldn't if I were you.

Exotic & mysterious, 03 Mar 2007
There are books that, although nothing much happens, they still give the impression of many things bubbling under the surface - this is one of them. Not dissimilar to Alice Hoffman's Practical Magic, this is a story of the magic in the mundane, only in this case, rather than trying to fit in and be "normal", the narrator tries desperately to hang onto her mystery and magic, all the while battling her own desires in order to remain a Mistress of Spices. It's a voyage of self-discovery, of living in a foreign land and trying to maintain the elements of home in a new country. It's also, ultimately, a story of hope - that perhaps a woman really can have it all if she dares.

The style is at once flowing and jarring; a mix of flowing thought and halting speech that feels both familiar and foreign - a novel of extreme contrasts. The characters are fragile and all too human, afraid of losing their roots, but hoping for a better life in America than they had in India. There's something absolutely charming about this story that I can't quite put my finger on, almost as if one was under a spell while reading it that lingers after you've finished the last page. Absorbing, exotic and mysterious.

whine whine whine, 25 Nov 2002
Boring. Predictable. Boring.

This may be new material for Americans, but the British audience has investigated the themes in these stories a million times over. Totally dull. The only feeling I have is sorrow for the author who seems completely disillusioned with "Indians living in America" and "Indian marriage".

If you want a beautiful set of short stories, please read "A River Sutra". There was only one story in this collection which wasn't totally painful, but it wasn't worth buying the book for.

Feelings of thousands conveyed ..., 28 Apr 2002
Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni manages to convey the feelings of thousands of Indian women who have faced similiar situations in this collection of short stories. All the women face the daunting task of leaving behind their family and friends and starting their lives with their husbands in a land they have only seen in the movies. It illustrates the struggles and passions of the women as they try to merge their cultural upbringing into the western world. Each of the stories will leave you wanting more. My favourite of the old grandma who comes to join her son and his wife, and finds they are not the same people they were in India but are totally submerged into the American life-style. All who read this novel will be fascinated by the dept of feeling and emotions Chitra has portrayed in each of the characters of the book. I look forward to reading may more of her novels.

Very beautiful, 29 Jun 2000
I have just finished reading this book and highly recommend it. Each story will have you fixed and yes I have stayed up till late to finish reading some of the chapters. On the down side some stories leave you to reach your own conclusion and a couple are quite sad, however it's a must read.

Simply beautiful, 22 Sep 1999
This book is a collection of 11 short stories. Each story tells the tale of the life of an Indian woman in America and surprise surprise, most are about their marriages. I didn't find it repetitive as each story was distinct in it's own right. I found this book very memorable and engaging. The author has a great talent for totally engrossing the reader within a short time which is a difficult talent especially when writing short stories. This is one of the few books I have read that will remain truly memorable and that I would gladly read again cover to cover.

gripping!, 06 Oct 2008
The story of the Mahabharat through the eyes of Draupadi.
It shows how noble men also had very human weakness.

Once i started reading it I couldnt put it down.
A lovely take on an already magical classic.

A Beautiful tale of womanhood, 24 Jul 2007
After having read this book, I bought it for my Mother, and recommended it to all my girlfriends. It is a beautifully told story of two sisters, the choices they make, and those they can't. I cried through the last 50 or so pages, as much because I do not have a sister to share it with...

Another original, heartwarming read from Divakaruni, 04 Jan 2007
Sudha and Anju are cousins born on the same day - they are as close as the closest of sisters and the best of friends.

Set against a background of tales, traditions and customs of India, `Sister of my Heart' lets us get a glimpse into Indian culture, but as with `Mistress of Spices' it's the author's obvious love for each of her characters that makes this book really shine.

This is a heartwarming, unusual and beautifully written story and I'd definitely recommend taking the time to read it.


Over whelming, 16 Apr 2005
this book was well written and breathtaking in every sense, I was a little unsure before starting but as soon as I read the first page I was intrigued, Into the story of Sudha and Anju ....
With writing that made me laugh "its an unfair world where women are expected to have husbands and feel grateful for them as well and it time it made me cry and feel true sorrow for the charecters,"if only I could burn away my past like this .

I will only say a few more words,
Once you have read this book you will feel like you have experienced something else...

Simply fabulous, 01 Aug 2003
From the moment you turn the first page of this book, you enter the lives of the 2 heroines. The writing style is amazing, I couldn't put the book down. It was very descriptive and I truly felt a part of the character's lives. I would recommend this book to anyone.

I loved this book, I lived in it for a week of commuting, 14 Jan 2002
All I can say is that if Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni had written as many books as Anne Tyler and Margaret Atwood I would be a very happy person as there would be so much more of her magical world to inhabit. I'm longing for her new book to appear, having read everything else. I have to say that if you haven't read anything by her, start with this one and then read the Mistress of Spices as the novels are better than the short stories - and the reason why is that her short stories are so good you feel bereft after the few pages you have because you feel there's a novel in each one waiting to be written.

A fine piece of prose about the Indian culture, 25 Jan 2008
The Vine of Desire by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni shows the literacy talents and skills of author. Most of her novels are based on specific events, as the Vine of Desire reveals. The novel is set in the early 90's with 0J Simpson case dominating headlines.

The novel continues to capitalise on the Indian theme from a Bengali perspective. The characters are native Indians from Calcutta, who have embarked on a fresh life in San Francisco. America is labelled as the land of opportunities as many would agree with. The main characters include Sunil and two close cousins Anju and Sudha. The previous novel "Sister of my Heart" introduces the characters to the reader, but the Vine of Desire takes it step further by showing how one event can change everything. Is the close bonding between the cousins been threatened by this new event? That is the general gist of the story.

Numerous novels address the theme of how Eastern and Western values conflicts. The Vine of Desire surely represents one perspective from a personal point of view. Writing is a means of expressing yourself, by using your own experience and knowledge to narrate a story. The Vine of Desire is a fine piece of prose about the Indian culture. It is beautifully written, with sharp observations, colourful language and unique writing style. These special qualities propels this novel to a delightful and enjoyable read.

An anti climax after "Sister of my heart", 29 Jun 2007
I really enjoyed sister of my heart which was the first book in this series. I was looking forward to reading vine of desire but it started off boring and continues. Somehow the characters lost thie original characters and took on new ones.. without spoiling it for anyone who hasn't read it, I just found sudha's character completely ubelievable.
i also read mistress of spices by te same author and again wasn't particularly impressed. sister of my heart is good though

A brilliant read., 09 Jul 2004
Divakaruni's sequal to "Sister of my Heart" is a brilliantly constructed piece of literature. Although benificial to read "Sister" first it is not necessary as the important details of their past are presented tp the reader as thoughts in the characters' heads.
The work shows Divakaruni's abilty to write characters that stretch across boundries of race. While there are certain undertones unique to the Bengali culture the situations and reactuions of Sudah, Anju and Sunil are universal.

slow but captivating, 02 Apr 2003
Initially the story was hard to work around, you feel as though you're being thrown into the deep-end without expecting it! Eventually the clouds clear and things start falling into place and you are left with that unavoidable feeling of "I can't put this book down / I want to know where this is going". I would recommend this book to everyone if not for the story at least for the forgotten emotion it awakens.

Suffers from sequel-itis., 21 Jan 2003
The Prologue of this novel, a birthing scene, is masterful--a classic example of the canon of fiction in which the writer creates a scene so vibrant and specific that the reader experiences it vicariously and draws conclusions about its characters on his own. Unfortunately, the immediacy of the Prologue is not sustained. In this sequel to Sister of My Heart, the author follows the three main characters after they leave India for the United States, giving the reader some background about them, and also including their large "support system" back home. But characters who were important in the first book (virtually all of them except the triangle of Anju, Sunil, and Sudha) have no direct role in this story at all, and their inclusion here, via letters, diaries, flashbacks, and references, serves as filler, a distraction, rather than as an integral part of the action.

Anju's invitation to her cousin and dearest friend, Sudha, and her baby, to stay with Anju and her husband in their tiny apartment, sets the stage for what might have been an intense study of characters interacting. Instead, the author backs off, "telling about" what's happening, rather than creating scenes. She also "tells about" the characters, rather than allowing us to draw conclusions from the action on our own. Sentences, such as the following, are common: "He should have known by now that Anju wasn't one to hide her meanings," "These are what the people closest to me are afraid of...," followed by a list, or "What fibers of steel are woven into Sudha's will..." Instead of creating intense scenes that directly involve the reader's heart, Divakaruni often becomes cute, involving the reader by addressing him/her directly, "Can you sense inside him the desire for speed?" or, when Sudha gets a letter, "We want Sudha to open her letter, but she goes about her daily chores with exasperating meticulousness," and "Have we underestimated Sudha?"

Though the book is just published in 2002, the author has chosen to set the action in 1994 in order to draw deliberate parallels between what is happening in this triangle and the O.J. Simpson case, with which Sunil is obsessed. This artifice continues when Sunil returns home temporarily to help his mother settle his father's estate: "It is the year of exiles returning home: Arafat to Gaza, Solzhenitsyn to Russia, and Sunil to a childhood he thinks of as an unhealed wound," not exactly comparable events. This is a simple, episodic tale written by an author whose work here lacks the subtlety and clear point of view one has come to expect from her previous writing. Mary Whipple

A literacy masterpiece based on the Indian culture, 02 May 2007
Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni is renowned for writing novels based around the Indian culture as previous novels have proven. The Queen of Dreams continues to capitalise on her excellent literacy pieces based around identified theme, which us as readers have been richly treated with.

The novel is about a second generation born Indian Rakhi raised in California. The story to the novel is parallel. In other words, it covers two facets which includes Rakhi mother's past in India and the upheavals of modern American life experienced. The novel alternates between the two facets throughout. As suggested by the novel title, the Queen of Dreams refers to this unusual ability for healing and interpreting dreams which Rakhi's mother possessed. The dream journals are complex piece of prose, that remain the key to discovering the haunting past which her mother left. That is the general gist of the story.

The Queen of Dreams is a modern literacy masterpiece. It is a parallel universe narrated through the wide use of metaphors and parables. The colorful use of language and creativeness are elements, which the novel must be praised highly for. The writing style is adapted to reflect particular characters in terms of their emotions and passage through life.The bonding between the two is the significant point of the novel. Rakhi wants to explore her Indian roots, which she has been sheltered from so far. What does she discover? If you love and appreciate a great piece of literacy storytelling whiich is compelling and emotionally touching, you must read Queen of Dreams.

A magic book, 19 Dec 2005
This is a magic book, text dissapear and appear. So when you're finished you can go back and read more. :-)

"Can't I take this small task that faces me today?", 04 Feb 2005
Queen of Dreams is a beautifully written gem of a novel. Full of provocative insights, and timely observations on marriage, family, racism, and the immigrant experience, the novel effectively chronicles the lives of a Bengali immigrant family living in California on the eve of September 11th 2001. Elegant is style and tone, the story centers around a woman caught between the real world that is crumbling around her and her mother's infectious and mysterious dream world.

The narrative alternates between Rakhi, who was born in the United States and her mother, Mrs. Gupta, who emigrated from India. Mrs. Gupta has a unique talent - she's a dream teller; she has the ability to translate dreams - be it her own or others. She is driven by the ability to help others through their dreams, having learned the technique from her childhood in India. Without a doubt Rakhi is American but a feeling of belonging to her birth land constantly haunts her. She is married and newly separated from Sonny, a young, carefree disc jockey, and she cares for Jona, their young daughter. One night Sonny left her to fend for herself at a dance party, and she has never forgiven him; she never told her family about it and the incident contributed to their separation.

Rakhi owns The Chai House, a small café, and Belle, her spunky girlfriend helps her run it. Rakhi is also a painter and hopes, one day to be discovered. But when a rival café opens on the opposite side of the street, and her mother dies in a fatal crash, she has to use all the resources at her disposal to save her flailing business, and repair the strained relationship with her daughter. Rakhi's father, who drinks on the weekend, comes to her aid and tries to help her rebuild her life, while also helping her translate her mother's dream journal from Bengali to English.

Much of the narrative centers on the relationship between mother and daughter, and Rakhi's often frustrated attempts to try to understand her mother better. Rakhi is prone to give in to life's dramas too easily - at one stage she angrily wants to close the café after the kitchen accidentally catches fire. She's also frustrated in her quest for her roots, and while she was always close to her mother, she feels angry and resentful that her mother's talent of dream interpretation was never passed on to her. Rakhi becomes obsessed with ancient history, rather than tackling the problem at hand, "this has always been my short coming. My mother dreams and I paint - because dreams look to the future, and paintings try to preserve the past."

Packed with absolutely gorgeous prose poetry, Divakaruni effectively weaves the colourful, mysterious dream world through Rakhi's life. And much of the narrative reads like a rich, sumptuous painting with phrases such as: "his plated green skin shone like rainwater on banana plants in the garden plot," and "A clear, full light tinged with coastal purples."

All the characters register the shock and horror of September 11th, but nothing prepares them for the actions of a few racists and bigots who are fuelled with hatred and anger. How Rakhi and her family and friends handle this incident is a testament to their fortitude and inner strength. The immigrant experience resonates throughout this work: Mrs. Gupta doesn't talk about the past like so many immigrants do, she didn't want to be like those other mothers, "splitting Rakhi between here and there, between her life right now and that which can never be." Mike Leonard February 05.

Makes you want to take a trip to India, 04 Jun 2008
I did it the wrong way round and watch the movie first and then started reading the book. The book however stands on it's own. The descriptions given makes you really feel you are their in part of the book. It sets your mind a float on so much possibilities out there. I really good read.

CONFUSING, 15 Dec 2007


the film adaptation is miles better - don't waste your money. I really wanted to like this in fact I endured 200 or so pages then had to give in, I couldn't face the last 50 or so pages. Painful.

Simple, yet refreshingly different, 25 Jun 2007

I was merely curious when I purchased this book, and so my expectations were not that great. However, having started to read it, I soon began to feel that this was going to be very good - and I wasn't disappointed! Do not be misled by either the cover or synopsis of this particular read, as it is so much more exciting than is subtlety hinted at. The story is absorbing, and is dealing with some very strong and natural desires of a fantastical world, and often in an unsentimental way, yet is still very moving.

I was really living the life of this old lady after only a few chapters and everything she thinks and feels and yearns for became my own craving, and one cannot but help to become part of her character as the novel unfolds. Though little appears to be said about each character's background (personality-wise) it is extremely simple to create visions of these people. I was constantly in anticipation as to how this story would end, and thought it very predictable, but apart from being totally wrong in my guessing at the outcome, it was far more abrupt than I could have ever expected - I kept looking to see if I'd lost a page!

I cannot help but recommend this book to anyone who wishes to read something refreshingly different and totally wonderful.

Definitely five stars!

Another food-and-mysticism mistake, 08 May 2007
We just read this for our book group and the verdict was fairly unanimous; it's poorly-crafted, with no real focus. The author may be trying to recreate the kind of sensual food-and-romance feeling of Chocolat or Blackberry Wine, but in fact it's a dreadful jumble of little stories that go nowhere, while the love affair which is key to the story is apallingly juvenile and breathless. I wouldn't if I were you.

Exotic & mysterious, 03 Mar 2007
There are books that, although nothing much happens, they still give the impression of many things bubbling under the surface - this is one of them. Not dissimilar to Alice Hoffman's Practical Magic, this is a story of the magic in the mundane, only in this case, rather than trying to fit in and be "normal", the narrator tries desperately to hang onto her mystery and magic, all the while battling her own desires in order to remain a Mistress of Spices. It's a voyage of self-discovery, of living in a foreign land and trying to maintain the elements of home in a new country. It's also, ultimately, a story of hope - that perhaps a woman really can have it all if she dares.

The style is at once flowing and jarring; a mix of flowing thought and halting speech that feels both familiar and foreign - a novel of extreme contrasts. The characters are fragile and all too human, afraid of losing their roots, but hoping for a better life in America than they had in India. There's something absolutely charming about this story that I can't quite put my finger on, almost as if one was under a spell while reading it that lingers after you've finished the last page. Absorbing, exotic and mysterious.

whine whine whine, 25 Nov 2002
Boring. Predictable. Boring.

This may be new material for Americans, but the British audience has investigated the themes in these stories a million times over. Totally dull. The only feeling I have is sorrow for the author who seems completely disillusioned with "Indians living in America" and "Indian marriage".

If you want a beautiful set of short stories, please read "A River Sutra". There was only one story in this collection which wasn't totally painful, but it wasn't worth buying the book for.

Feelings of thousands conveyed ..., 28 Apr 2002
Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni manages to convey the feelings of thousands of Indian women who have faced similiar situations in this collection of short stories. All the women face the daunting task of leaving behind their family and friends and starting their lives with their husbands in a land they have only seen in the movies. It illustrates the struggles and passions of the women as they try to merge their cultural upbringing into the western world. Each of the stories will leave you wanting more. My favourite of the old grandma who comes to join her son and his wife, and finds they are not the same people they were in India but are totally submerged into the American life-style. All who read this novel will be fascinated by the dept of feeling and emotions Chitra has portrayed in each of the characters of the book. I look forward to reading may more of her novels.

Very beautiful, 29 Jun 2000
I have just finished reading this book and highly recommend it. Each story will have you fixed and yes I have stayed up till late to finish reading some of the chapters. On the down side some stories leave you to reach your own conclusion and a couple are quite sad, however it's a must read.

Simply beautiful, 22 Sep 1999
This book is a collection of 11 short stories. Each story tells the tale of the life of an Indian woman in America and surprise surprise, most are about their marriages. I didn't find it repetitive as each story was distinct in it's own right. I found this book very memorable and engaging. The author has a great talent for totally engrossing the reader within a short time which is a difficult talent especially when writing short stories. This is one of the few books I have read that will remain truly memorable and that I would gladly read again cover to cover.

gripping!, 06 Oct 2008
The story of the Mahabharat through the eyes of Draupadi.
It shows how noble men also had very human weakness.

Once i started reading it I couldnt put it down.
A lovely take on an already magical classic.

A Beautiful tale of womanhood, 24 Jul 2007
After having read this book, I bought it for my Mother, and recommended it to all my girlfriends. It is a beautifully told story of two sisters, the choices they make, and those they can't. I cried through the last 50 or so pages, as much because I do not have a sister to share it with...

Another original, heartwarming read from Divakaruni, 04 Jan 2007
Sudha and Anju are cousins born on the same day - they are as close as the closest of sisters and the best of friends.

Set against a background of tales, traditions and customs of India, `Sister of my Heart' lets us get a glimpse into Indian culture, but as with `Mistress of Spices' it's the author's obvious love for each of her characters that makes this book really shine.

This is a heartwarming, unusual and beautifully written story and I'd definitely recommend taking the time to read it.


Over whelming, 16 Apr 2005
this book was well written and breathtaking in every sense, I was a little unsure before starting but as soon as I read the first page I was intrigued, Into the story of Sudha and Anju ....
With writing that made me laugh "its an unfair world where women are expected to have husbands and feel grateful for them as well and it time it made me cry and feel true sorrow for the charecters,"if only I could burn away my past like this .

I will only say a few more words,
Once you have read this book you will feel like you have experienced something else...

Simply fabulous, 01 Aug 2003
From the moment you turn the first page of this book, you enter the lives of the 2 heroines. The writing style is amazing, I couldn't put the book down. It was very descriptive and I truly felt a part of the character's lives. I would recommend this book to anyone.

I loved this book, I lived in it for a week of commuting, 14 Jan 2002
All I can say is that if Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni had written as many books as Anne Tyler and Margaret Atwood I would be a very happy person as there would be so much more of her magical world to inhabit. I'm longing for her new book to appear, having read everything else. I have to say that if you haven't read anything by her, start with this one and then read the Mistress of Spices as the novels are better than the short stories - and the reason why is that her short stories are so good you feel bereft after the few pages you have because you feel there's a novel in each one waiting to be written.

A fine piece of prose about the Indian culture, 25 Jan 2008
The Vine of Desire by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni shows the literacy talents and skills of author. Most of her novels are based on specific events, as the Vine of Desire reveals. The novel is set in the early 90's with 0J Simpson case dominating headlines.

The novel continues to capitalise on the Indian theme from a Bengali perspective. The characters are native Indians from Calcutta, who have embarked on a fresh life in San Francisco. America is labelled as the land of opportunities as many would agree with. The main characters include Sunil and two close cousins Anju and Sudha. The previous novel "Sister of my Heart" introduces the characters to the reader, but the Vine of Desire takes it step further by showing how one event can change everything. Is the close bonding between the cousins been threatened by this new event? That is the general gist of the story.

Numerous novels address the theme of how Eastern and Western values conflicts. The Vine of Desire surely represents one perspective from a personal point of view. Writing is a means of expressing yourself, by using your own experience and knowledge to narrate a story. The Vine of Desire is a fine piece of prose about the Indian culture. It is beautifully written, with sharp observations, colourful language and unique writing style. These special qualities propels this novel to a delightful and enjoyable read.

An anti climax after "Sister of my heart", 29 Jun 2007
I really enjoyed sister of my heart which was the first book in this series. I was looking forward to reading vine of desire but it started off boring and continues. Somehow the characters lost thie original characters and took on new ones.. without spoiling it for anyone who hasn't read it, I just found sudha's character completely ubelievable.
i also read mistress of spices by te same author and again wasn't particularly impressed. sister of my heart is good though

A brilliant read., 09 Jul 2004
Divakaruni's sequal to "Sister of my Heart" is a brilliantly constructed piece of literature. Although benificial to read "Sister" first it is not necessary as the important details of their past are presented tp the reader as thoughts in the characters' heads.
The work shows Divakaruni's abilty to write characters that stretch across boundries of race. While there are certain undertones unique to the Bengali culture the situations and reactuions of Sudah, Anju and Sunil are universal.

slow but captivating, 02 Apr 2003
Initially the story was hard to work around, you feel as though you're being thrown into the deep-end without expecting it! Eventually the clouds clear and things start falling into place and you are left with that unavoidable feeling of "I can't put this book down / I want to know where this is going". I would recommend this book to everyone if not for the story at least for the forgotten emotion it awakens.

Suffers from sequel-itis., 21 Jan 2003
The Prologue of this novel, a birthing scene, is masterful--a classic example of the canon of fiction in which the writer creates a scene so vibrant and specific that the reader experiences it vicariously and draws conclusions about its characters on his own. Unfortunately, the immediacy of the Prologue is not sustained. In this sequel to Sister of My Heart, the author follows the three main characters after they leave India for the United States, giving the reader some background about them, and also including their large "support system" back home. But characters who were important in the first book (virtually all of them except the triangle of Anju, Sunil, and Sudha) have no direct role in this story at all, and their inclusion here, via letters, diaries, flashbacks, and references, serves as filler, a distraction, rather than as an integral part of the action.

Anju's invitation to her cousin and dearest friend, Sudha, and her baby, to stay with Anju and her husband in their tiny apartment, sets the stage for what might have been an intense study of characters interacting. Instead, the author backs off, "telling about" what's happening, rather than creating scenes. She also "tells about" the characters, rather than allowing us to draw conclusions from the action on our own. Sentences, such as the following, are common: "He should have known by now that Anju wasn't one to hide her meanings," "These are what the people closest to me are afraid of...," followed by a list, or "What fibers of steel are woven into Sudha's will..." Instead of creating intense scenes that directly involve the reader's heart, Divakaruni often becomes cute, involving the reader by addressing him/her directly, "Can you sense inside him the desire for speed?" or, when Sudha gets a letter, "We want Sudha to open her letter, but she goes about her daily chores with exasperating meticulousness," and "Have we underestimated Sudha?"

Though the book is just published in 2002, the author has chosen to set the action in 1994 in order to draw deliberate parallels between what is happening in this triangle and the O.J. Simpson case, with which Sunil is obsessed. This artifice continues when Sunil returns home temporarily to help his mother settle his father's estate: "It is the year of exiles returning home: Arafat to Gaza, Solzhenitsyn to Russia, and Sunil to a childhood he thinks of as an unhealed wound," not exactly comparable events. This is a simple, episodic tale written by an author whose work here lacks the subtlety and clear point of view one has come to expect from her previous writing. Mary Whipple

A literacy masterpiece based on the Indian culture, 02 May 2007
Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni is renowned for writing novels based around the Indian culture as previous novels have proven. The Queen of Dreams continues to capitalise on her excellent literacy pieces based around identified theme, which us as readers have been richly treated with.

The novel is about a second generation born Indian Rakhi raised in California. The story to the novel is parallel. In other words, it covers two facets which includes Rakhi mother's past in India and the upheavals of modern American life experienced. The novel alternates between the two facets throughout. As suggested by the novel title, the Queen of Dreams refers to this unusual ability for healing and interpreting dreams which Rakhi's mother possessed. The dream journals are complex piece of prose, that remain the key to discovering the haunting past which her mother left. That is the general gist of the story.

The Queen of Dreams is a modern literacy masterpiece. It is a parallel universe narrated through the wide use of metaphors and parables. The colorful use of language and creativeness are elements, which the novel must be praised highly for. The writing style is adapted to reflect particular characters in terms of their emotions and passage through life.The bonding between the two is the significant point of the novel. Rakhi wants to explore her Indian roots, which she has been sheltered from so far. What does she discover? If you love and appreciate a great piece of literacy storytelling whiich is compelling and emotionally touching, you must read Queen of Dreams.

A magic book, 19 Dec 2005
This is a magic book, text dissapear and appear. So when you're finished you can go back and read more. :-)

"Can't I take this small task that faces me today?", 04 Feb 2005
Queen of Dreams is a beautifully written gem of a novel. Full of provocative insights, and timely observations on marriage, family, racism, and the immigrant experience, the novel effectively chronicles the lives of a Bengali immigrant family living in California on the eve of September 11th 2001. Elegant is style and tone, the story centers around a woman caught between the real world that is crumbling around her and her mother's infectious and mysterious dream world.

The narrative alternates between Rakhi, who was born in the United States and her mother, Mrs. Gupta, who emigrated from India. Mrs. Gupta has a unique talent - she's a dream teller; she has the ability to translate dreams - be it her own or others. She is driven by the ability to help others through their dreams, having learned the technique from her childhood in India. Without a doubt Rakhi is American but a feeling of belonging to her birth land constantly haunts her. She is married and newly separated from Sonny, a young, carefree disc jockey, and she cares for Jona, their young daughter. One night Sonny left her to fend for herself at a dance party, and she has never forgiven him; she never told her family about it and the incident contributed to their separation.

Rakhi owns The Chai House, a small café, and Belle, her spunky girlfriend helps her run it. Rakhi is also a painter and hopes, one day to be discovered. But when a rival café opens on the opposite side of the street, and her mother dies in a fatal crash, she has to use all the resources at her disposal to save her flailing business, and repair the strained relationship with her daughter. Rakhi's father, who drinks on the weekend, comes to her aid and tries to help her rebuild her life, while also helping her translate her mother's dream journal from Bengali to English.

Much of the narrative centers on the relationship between mother and daughter, and Rakhi's often frustrated attempts to try to understand her mother better. Rakhi is prone to give in to life's dramas too easily - at one stage she angrily wants to close the café after the kitchen accidentally catches fire. She's also frustrated in her quest for her roots, and while she was always close to her mother, she feels angry and resentful that her mother's talent of dream interpretation was never passed on to her. Rakhi becomes obsessed with ancient history, rather than tackling the problem at hand, "this has always been my short coming. My mother dreams and I paint - because dreams look to the future, and paintings try to preserve the past."

Packed with absolutely gorgeous prose poetry, Divakaruni effectively weaves the colourful, mysterious dream world through Rakhi's life. And much of the narrative reads like a rich, sumptuous painting with phrases such as: "his plated green skin shone like rainwater on banana plants in the garden plot," and "A clear, full light tinged with coastal purples."

All the characters register the shock and horror of September 11th, but nothing prepares them for the actions of a few racists and bigots who are fuelled with hatred and anger. How Rakhi and her family and friends handle this incident is a testament to their fortitude and inner strength. The immigrant experience resonates throughout this work: Mrs. Gupta doesn't talk about the past like so many immigrants do, she didn't want to be like those other mothers, "splitting Rakhi between here and there, between her life right now and that which can never be." Mike Leonard February 05.

gripping!, 06 Oct 2008
The story of the Mahabharat through the eyes of Draupadi.
It shows how noble men also had very human weakness.

Once i started reading it I couldnt put it down.
A lovely take on an already magical classic.

Makes you want to take a trip to India, 04 Jun 2008
I did it the wrong way round and watch the movie first and then started reading the book. The book however stands on it's own. The descriptions given makes you really feel you are their in part of the book. It sets your mind a float on so much possibilities out there. I really good read.

CONFUSING, 15 Dec 2007


the film adaptation is miles better - don't waste your money. I really wanted to like this in fact I endured 200 or so pages then had to give in, I couldn't face the last 50 or so pages. Painful.

Simple, yet refreshingly different, 25 Jun 2007

I was merely curious when I purchased this book, and so my expectations were not that great. However, having started to read it, I soon began to feel that this was going to be very good - and I wasn't disappointed! Do not be misled by either the cover or synopsis of this particular read, as it is so much more exciting than is subtlety hinted at. The story is absorbing, and is dealing with some very strong and natural desires of a fantastical world, and often in an unsentimental way, yet is still very moving.

I was really living the life of this old lady after only a few chapters and everything she thinks and feels and yearns for became my own craving, and one cannot but help to become part of her character as the novel unfolds. Though little appears to be said about each character's background (personality-wise) it is extremely simple to create visions of these people. I was constantly in anticipation as to how this story would end, and thought it very predictable, but apart from being totally wrong in my guessing at the outcome, it was far more abrupt than I could have ever expected - I kept looking to see if I'd lost a page!

I cannot help but recommend this book to anyone who wishes to read something refreshingly different and totally wonderful.

Definitely five stars!

Another food-and-mysticism mistake, 08 May 2007
We just read this for our book group and the verdict was fairly unanimous; it's poorly-crafted, with no real focus. The author may be trying to recreate the kind of sensual food-and-romance feeling of Chocolat or Blackberry Wine, but in fact it's a dreadful jumble of little stories that go nowhere, while the love affair which is key to the story is apallingly juvenile and breathless. I wouldn't if I were you.

Exotic & mysterious, 03 Mar 2007
There are books that, although nothing much happens, they still give the impression of many things bubbling under the surface - this is one of them. Not dissimilar to Alice Hoffman's Practical Magic, this is a story of the magic in the mundane, only in this case, rather than trying to fit in and be "normal", the narrator tries desperately to hang onto her mystery and magic, all the while battling her own desires in order to remain a Mistress of Spices. It's a voyage of self-discovery, of living in a foreign land and trying to maintain the elements of home in a new country. It's also, ultimately, a story of hope - that perhaps a woman really can have it all if she dares.

The style is at once flowing and jarring; a mix of flowing thought and halting speech that feels both familiar and foreign - a novel of extreme contrasts. The characters are fragile and all too human, afraid of losing their roots, but hoping for a better life in America than they had in India. There's something absolutely charming about this story that I can't quite put my finger on, almost as if one was under a spell while reading it that lingers after you've finished the last page. Absorbing, exotic and mysterious.

whine whine whine, 25 Nov 2002
Boring. Predictable. Boring.

This may be new material for Americans, but the British audience has investigated the themes in these stories a million times over. Totally dull. The only feeling I have is sorrow for the author who seems completely disillusioned with "Indians living in America" and "Indian marriage".

If you want a beautiful set of short stories, please read "A River Sutra". There was only one story in this collection which wasn't totally painful, but it wasn't worth buying the book for.

Feelings of thousands conveyed ..., 28 Apr 2002
Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni manages to convey the feelings of thousands of Indian women who have faced similiar situations in this collection of short stories. All the women face the daunting task of leaving behind their family and friends and starting their lives with their husbands in a land they have only seen in the movies. It illustrates the struggles and passions of the women as they try to merge their cultural upbringing into the western world. Each of the stories will leave you wanting more. My favourite of the old grandma who comes to join her son and his wife, and finds they are not the same people they were in India but are totally submerged into the American life-style. All who read this novel will be fascinated by the dept of feeling and emotions Chitra has portrayed in each of the characters of the book. I look forward to reading may more of her novels.

Very beautiful, 29 Jun 2000
I have just finished reading this book and highly recommend it. Each story will have you fixed and yes I have stayed up till late to finish reading some of the chapters. On the down side some stories leave you to reach your own conclusion and a couple are quite sad, however it's a must read.

Simply beautiful, 22 Sep 1999
This book is a collection of 11 short stories. Each story tells the tale of the life of an Indian woman in America and surprise surprise, most are about their marriages. I didn't find it repetitive as each story was distinct in it's own right. I found this book very memorable and engaging. The author has a great talent for totally engrossing the reader within a short time which is a difficult talent especially when writing short stories. This is one of the few books I have read that will remain truly memorable and that I would gladly read again cover to cover.

gripping!, 06 Oct 2008
The story of the Mahabharat through the eyes of Draupadi.
It shows how noble men also had very human weakness.

Once i started reading it I couldnt put it down.
A lovely take on an already magical classic.

A Beautiful tale of womanhood, 24 Jul 2007
After having read this book, I bought it for my Mother, and recommended it to all my girlfriends. It is a beautifully told story of two sisters, the choices they make, and those they can't. I cried through the last 50 or so pages, as much because I do not have a sister to share it with...

Another original, heartwarming read from Divakaruni, 04 Jan 2007
Sudha and Anju are cousins born on the same day - they are as close as the closest of sisters and the best of friends.

Set against a background of tales, traditions and customs of India, `Sister of my Heart' lets us get a glimpse into Indian culture, but as with `Mistress of Spices' it's the author's obvious love for each of her characters that makes this book really shine.

This is a heartwarming, unusual and beautifully written story and I'd definitely recommend taking the time to read it.


Over whelming, 16 Apr 2005
this book was well written and breathtaking in every sense, I was a little unsure before starting but as soon as I read the first page I was intrigued, Into the story of Sudha and Anju ....
With writing that made me laugh "its an unfair world where women are expected to have husbands and feel grateful for them as well and it time it made me cry and feel true sorrow for the charecters,"if only I could burn away my past like this .

I will only say a few more words,
Once you have read this book you will feel like you have experienced something else...

Simply fabulous, 01 Aug 2003
From the moment you turn the first page of this book, you enter the lives of the 2 heroines. The writing style is amazing, I couldn't put the book down. It was very descriptive and I truly felt a part of the character's lives. I would recommend this book to anyone.

I loved this book, I lived in it for a week of commuting, 14 Jan 2002
All I can say is that if Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni had written as many books as Anne Tyler and Margaret Atwood I would be a very happy person as there would be so much more of her magical world to inhabit. I'm longing for her new book to appear, having read everything else. I have to say that if you haven't read anything by her, start with this one and then read the Mistress of Spices as the novels are better than the short stories - and the reason why is that her short stories are so good you feel bereft after the few pages you have because you feel there's a novel in each one waiting to be written.

A fine piece of prose about the Indian culture, 25 Jan 2008
The Vine of Desire by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni shows the literacy talents and skills of author. Most of her novels are based on specific events, as the Vine of Desire reveals. The novel is set in the early 90's with 0J Simpson case dominating headlines.

The novel continues to capitalise on the Indian theme from a Bengali perspective. The characters are native Indians from Calcutta, who have embarked on a fresh life in San Francisco. America is labelled as the land of opportunities as many would agree with. The main characters include Sunil and two close cousins Anju and Sudha. The previous novel "Sister of my Heart" introduces the characters to the reader, but the Vine of Desire takes it step further by showing how one event can change everything. Is the close bonding between the cousins been threatened by this new event? That is the general gist of the story.

Numerous novels address the theme of how Eastern and Western values conflicts. The Vine of Desire surely represents one perspective from a personal point of view. Writing is a means of expressing yourself, by using your own experience and knowledge to narrate a story. The Vine of Desire is a fine piece of prose about the Indian culture. It is beautifully written, with sharp observations, colourful language and unique writing style. These special qualities propels this novel to a delightful and enjoyable read.

An anti climax after "Sister of my heart", 29 Jun 2007
I really enjoyed sister of my heart which was the first book in this series. I was looking forward to reading vine of desire but it started off boring and continues. Somehow the characters lost thie original characters and took on new ones.. without spoiling it for a