DIVAKARUNI’S NEWEST:

AN UNCOMMON LOVE: THE EARLY LIFE OF SUDHA AND NARAYANA MURTHY

SYNOPSIS: Sudha Kulkarni was forging a career as TELCO’s first woman engineer when she met the serious, idealistic and brilliant Narayana Murthy, and they fell in love. For the first time comes the story of their early years – from their courtship to Infosys’s founding years, from their marriage to parenthood.

What drew them together and kept them bound tightly through the challenges and loneliness they faced? What was it like to create a start-up during the license raj, when there were no VCs, and entrepreneurship was regarded as a dirty word? How did Sudha Murty balance being a career woman, a mother and a start-up wife? How did Narayana Murthy’s obsession affect himself and his family?

Taking us deep inside the minds and hearts of the Murthys, Divakaruni tells their story with vividness and emotional depth. This book is about the sacrifices it takes to forge a powerful and lasting marriage, about the early story of Infosys and Indian business before liberalization, and most of all about two icons before they became the legends that transformed the fields of business and philanthropy.

  • “ Narayana and Sudha Murthy are an emblem of the rise of New India. Theirs is a storied life that celebrates the best of our society—readiness for struggle and sacrifice, pride in our cultural heritage, and deep commitment to improving the lives of fellow Indians through wealth creation and philanthropy. Kudos to Chitra for beautifully capturing it in this book. ”
    — Mukesh Ambani
  • “ India in the 70s to the 90s is beautifully evoked through the story of a relationship and marriage that helped change the face of the country. ”
    — William Dalrymple
  • “ An inspiring story, grippingly told, of how love, courage and perseverance built not just an enduring marriage but one of India’s most successful start-ups. ”
    — Twinkle Khanna
  • “ Amazing. Part business book, part romance novel, it is a beautiful read that chronicles the lives of the incredible Narayana Murthy and his wife Sudha. Kudos to Chitra Divakaruni for writing such an emotional, elegant story about this consequential couple. A must-read. ”
    — Indra Nooyi
  • “ The strongest foundations support the tallest institutions. As Indians reach for the skies, Shri Narayana Murthy and Shrimati Sudha Murty’s journey reinforces the role of a strong family in enabling enduring success. Inspiring. ”
    — Sachin Tendulkar

INDEPENDENCE: A NOVEL

SYNOPSIS: In a 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 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 fiancè

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 and 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. A BOOK OF THE MONTH PICK. Shortlisted for the Times of India AutHer Best Fiction Awards, 2023.

READ AN EXCLUSIVE EXCERPT HERE.

PUBLICATION: Independence is available in the US (William Morrow/HarperCollins) and in India (HarperCollins India), where it was an instant #1 National Bestseller.

FILM RIGHTS: Film Rights for Independence have been optioned by Temple Hill. Directors interested in collaboration, please contact Alli Dyer, alli@templehillent.com.

REVIEWS: Booklist Starred Review: “A brilliant novel. . . a highly nuanced tale, stirringly depicted by Divakaruni in unforgettable prose.”

Publisher’s Weekly Starred Review: “A dazzling tale, hair-raising. . . . Divakaruni seamlessly weaves the political upheaval into the characters’ lives while also depicting the beauty, vitality, and vastness of India. This is a must.”

FirstPost: “One of Divakaruni’s greatest strengths as a novelist is the sheer strength of her characterisation. The psychological acuity with which she presents her characters’ motivations and their leaps of faith is remarkable. . . . Independence, her latest novel, is arguably her finest yet, a book that has big ambitions but an even bigger heart.”

New York Journal of Books: “Divakaruni has written a powerful novel that will resonate across cultures.”

See the Independence book page for links to more reviews and interviews.

  • “ Independence is a spellbinding saga of the decolonization and partition of the Indian subcontinent, with a cast of vividly drawn, compelling characters. ”
    — Amitav Ghosh
  • “ 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 unique, with her own desires and flaws. I cheered for them and cried with them as they moved through the history of their country that was at once devastating, inspiring, and triumphant. You will too. ”
    — Lisa See
  • “ A national movement unsettles a country. Only a powerful imagination can recreate how profoundly it changes three women's lives. ”
    — Nayantara Sahgal

The Last Queen: a novel

SYNOPSIS: Daughter of the royal kennel keeper, the beautiful Jindan Kaur was Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s youngest and last queen, his favourite. She became regent when her son Dalip, barely six years old, unexpectedly inherited the throne, and went on to become a legendary warrior queen.

Sharp-eyed, stubborn, passionate, and dedicated to protecting her son’s heritage, Jindan distrusted the British and fought hard to keep them from annexing Punjab. Defying tradition, she stepped out of the zenana, cast aside the veil and conducted state business in public. Addressing her Khalsa troops herself, she inspired her men in two wars against the ‘firangs’. Her power and influence were so formidable that the British, fearing an uprising, robbed the rebel queen of everything she had, including her son. She was imprisoned and exiled. But that did not crush her indomitable will.

An exquisite love story of a king and a commoner, a cautionary tale about loyalty and betrayal, and a powerful parable of the indestructible bond between mother and child, Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni’s novel brings alive one of the most fearless women of the nineteenth century, an inspiration for our times. 

AWARDS: The Last Queen won the Times of India Best Fiction AutHer Award, the FICCI (Federation of India’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry) Award for Best Fiction, and the International Association of Working Women’s Best Book Award.

PUBLICATION: The Last Queen is in available in USA (William Morrow/HarperCollins, 2022) and in India (HarperCollins India, 2021), where it was a Number 1 National Bestseller.

FILM: The Last Queen has been optioned for a movie.

PUBLICITY: Information on interviews and talks about The Last Queen can be found here. A Hindustan Times interview with Divakaruni about the writing of The Last Queen is here.

  • “ Stunning and moving... In The Last Queen, Chitra Divakaruni is writing at the very top of her game. ”
    — William Dalrymple
  • “ Path-breaking, poignant, exhilarating ... unputdownable. ”
    — Business Standard
  • “ In The Last Queen, Chitra Divakaruni has written an unforgettable story about the fearless, much-feared queen whom history seems to have forgotten. ”
    — Shabana Azmi
  • “ Fast-paced and a quick read, the book captures Rani Jindan's character and indomitable spirit . . . . Divakaruni's magic with words and exceptional storytelling skills shine through her writing. ”
    — Times of India
  • “ A literary page-turner, a deeply satisfying historical novel that crackles with the pace and vivaciousness of top-tier genre fiction. ”
    — The Hindu
  • “ A story of politics, nostalgia and courage, The Last Queen retrieves Rani Jindan from the forgotten annals of history. ”
    — The Financial Express
ORDER here (India) AND here (USA)

The Forest of Enchantments

SYNOPSIS: The Ramayana, one of the world’s greatest epics, is also a tragic love story. In this brilliant retelling, Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni places Sita at the center of the novel: this is Sita’s version. The Forest of Enchantments is also a very human story of some of the other women in the epic, often misunderstood and relegated to the margins: Kaikeyi, Surpanakha, Mandodari. A powerful commentary on duty, betrayal, infidelity and honor, it is also about women’s struggle to retain autonomy in a world that privileges men, as Divakaruni transforms an ancient story into a gripping, contemporary battle of wills. While the Ramayana resonates even today, she makes it more relevant than ever through the underlying questions in the novel: How should women be treated by their loved ones? What are their rights in a relationship? When does a woman need to stand up and say, Enough!

Publication: The Forest of Enchantments is available in the US (HarperCollins) and in India (HarperCollins India).

Publicity: Here is an essay by Divakaruni on what this book—and the character of Sita—means to her. Reviews of The Forest of Enchantments can be found here.

  • “ A terrific read! Divakaruni has pulled off the near impossible by penning a story even more compelling than The Palace of Illusions. ”
    — Ashwin Sanghi
  • “ A work...of pluralities and possibilities... This is the Sitayan we will give to our daughters, that they may imbibe Sita’s strength, and even more proudly to our sons, who will learn how a woman is to be treated. ”
    — The Wire
  • “ Divakaruni’s spin on the most pivotal moment of Sita’s life, the agnipariksha episode, is a moment of feminist brilliance. Her Sita answers all the questions we would have had when listening to the Ramayana while leaving us with plenty of food for thought. ”
    — The New Indian Express

The Palace of Illusions

SYNOPSIS: Taking us back to a time that is half history, half myth and wholly magical, bestselling author Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni gives voice to Panchaali, the fire-born heroine of the Mahabharata, as she weaves a vibrant retelling of an ancient epic saga.

Married to five royal husbands who have been cheated out of their father's kingdom, Panchaali aids their quest to reclaim their birthright, remaining at their side through years of exile and a terrible civil war. But she cannot deny her complicated friendship with the enigmatic Krishna—or her secret attraction to the mysterious man who is her husbands' most dangerous enemy — as she is caught up in the ever-manipulating hands of fate.

BOOK CLUBS: A reading group guide for Palace of Illusions is available HERE.

PUBLICATION: The Palace of Illusions is available in the US (Anchor) and in India (Pan Macmillan), where it continues to be a bestseller and is taught in numerous colleges and universities.

  • “ The Palace of Illusions . . . is as bright a gem as the Hope Diamond – a mythic tale brimming with warriors, magic and treachery . . . . Who better to attempt the feat of transforming a centuries-old cultural icon into a personal, modern story than Divakaruni? Her sentences dazzle; the images she creates are masterful." ”
    — Los Angeles Times
  • “ A radiant entree into an ancient mythology virtually unknown to the Western world.... Remarkable. ”
    — Houston Chronicle
  • “ Vivid and inventive.... Divakaruni's rich, action-filled narrative contrasts well with the complex psychological portrait of a mythic princess. ”
    — Publishers Weekly
  • “ The Palace of Illusions is as grand and tragic as the epic poems by Homer... Divakaruni's best work yet. ”
    — Bookreporter.com
ORDER here (USA) and here (India)

BEFORE WE VISIT THE GODDESS

Synopsis: Sweeping across the twentieth century, from the countryside of Bengal, India, to the streets of Houston, Texas, Before We Visit the Goddess takes readers on an extraordinary journey through the lives of three unforgettable women: Sabitri, Bela, and Tara. As the young daughter of a poor rural sweetmaker, Sabitri yearns to get an education, but schooling is impossible on the meager profits from her mother’s business. When a powerful local woman takes Sabitri under her wing, her generous offer proves dangerous after Sabitri makes a single, unforgiveable misstep. Years later, Sabitri’s own daughter, Bela, haunted by her mother’s choices, flees to America with her political refugee lover — but the world she finds is vastly different from her dreams. As the marriage crumbles and Bela decides to forge her own path, she unwittingly teaches her little girl, Tara, indelible lessons about freedom and loyalty that will take a lifetime to unravel.

Told through a sparkling symphony of voices — those of the women themselves and the men who love them — Before We Visit the Goddess captures the gorgeous complexity of these multi-generational and transcontinental relationships, showing the deep threads of love and hope and bravery that define a family and a life.

Publication: Before We Visit the Goddess is available in the US and in India (Simon & Schuster).

Ordering: US readers can order Before We Visit the Goddess via Indiebound, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Books A Million. Indian readers can order via Amazon India and Flipkart.

Publicity: BBC, USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, Hindustan Times, Newsday, The Hindu, India Today, New Indian Express, The Telegraph, Scroll.in, Bookriot and other major publications describe Before We Visit the Goddess as a must-read book.

Read an excerpt. Watch a video of Divakaruni's talk on Goddess at Google Headquarters. 

BOOK CLUBS: A Reading Guide for Before We Visit the Goddess is available here.  

Critical Perspectives on Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni: Feminism and Diaspora

Description: Critical Perspectives on Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni: Feminism and Diaspora, edited by Amritjit Singh, Robin Field & Samina Najmi, is a global collection of scholarly essays on Divakaruni’s work. It is particularly suited for individuals doing research on Divakaruni’s books and for university and college libraries.

Publication: Rowman & Littlefield, USA, 2022. Rawat Publications, India, 2023.

AGENTS: To request an in-person or virtual speaking engagement in the U.S., please contact Christie Hinrichs, or view Divakaruni’s SPEAKING PROFILE. To request an in-person or virtual speaking engagement, or for film options in India, contact Sidharth Jain, s@thestoryink.com. Divakaruni’s literary agency is The Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency. Contact: elise@dijkstraagency.com. For U.S. film options or foreign book contracts, contact andrea@dijkstraagency.com.

PRAISE FOR CHITRA banerjee DIVAKARUNI

  • “ Divakaruni's literary voice is a sensual bridge between worlds. India and America. Children and parents. Men and women. Passion and pragmatism. ”
    — USA Today
  • “ Divakaruni beautifully blends the chills of reality with the rich imaginings of a fairy tale. ”
    — Wall Street Journal
  • “ Irresistible.... Enchanting.... Divakaruni shows herself to be a skilled cartographer of the heart. ”
    — People
  • “ Divakaruni’s sentences dazzle. The images she creates are masterful. ”
    — Los Angeles Times
  • “ For those of us who read to escape the banalities of daily life, Chitra Divakaruni's books are oxygen. She writes about India in a way that makes the rest of the world disappear. ”
    — Chicago Tribune