Anju and Sudha are born on the same night into the Chatterjee household in Calcutta, on the day their fathers disappeared on a mysterious expedition. Raised together by three widowed women in a decaying mansion, they are closer than sisters, though they could not be more different: Anju is bookish and outspoken, Sudha beautiful and romantic.
As they grow up, a family secret about Sudha's father threatens their bond, and arranged marriages pull them apart. Sudha marries into a traditional family in a provincial town ruled by a domineering mother-in-law, while Anju moves to California with her husband and struggles with the loneliness of immigrant life.
Told in alternating voices, the novel draws on Bengali folk tales and explores female friendship, the pressures on women to produce sons and the different trap each life presents. Its sequel, The Vine of Desire, continues the cousins' story. It suits readers who enjoy emotional, character-driven stories of women's lives across continents.
Book details
| Author | Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni |
|---|---|
| First published | 1999 |
| Original language | English |
| Genre | Literary fiction |
| Type | Fiction |
| Pages (approx.) | 322 |
| Setting | Calcutta, a town in Bengal and California, 1970s to 1990s |
Themes
- Female friendship
- Arranged marriage
- Family secrets
- Immigration
- Motherhood
Who should read it
Readers who love stories of sisterhood and women navigating tradition and choice.