Chitra Banarjee Divakaruni is at her best, exploring facets of intimate relationships.... through introspection, self analysis, assimilation and self discovery..... especially so of women. The Vine of Desire is a powerful narrative, delving deep into the minds and emotions of it's principal characters.
Anju and Sudha would be familiar to those who've read her earlier book 'sister of my heart', and would know how close, and almost psychic a connection the two cousins share.
Anju gets married and moved to America. A miscarriage leaves her depressed and lonely and when she feels her marriage won't survive it, she invites Sudha to come and live with her. Sudha readily agrees, in the hope that life in America will find her freedom from a painful divorce, from an earlier boyfriend, and from her own deep conditioning.
Complications start when Anju's husband, Sunil, gets dangerously attracted to Sudha, and then there are the complications of it's impact on a marriage already heading downhill.
Complications start when Anju's husband, Sunil, gets dangerously attracted to Sudha, and then there are the complications of it's impact on a marriage already heading downhill.
Each of them try to distract themselves by focusing on Sudha's little daughter Dayita, but there's no getting away from the inevitable moment of truth, when all lines heading inward get caught in a vortex of emotions....the clash of reality....then deflect, to each goes it's own way, away from the other, as far away as they think they can.
Chitra's women are, as always, women of substance, seeking and finding identity and freedom... from relational controls, cultural bindings and their own conditioning. They are women you want to know.
Her style of writing in this book was so innovative and interesting. She uses letters. Each writing letters to different people....their mothers, aunts, friends, college submissions and even dead people . And it's through these letters that you see the stark differences between reality within, and reality without. Where the 'authentic' is either getting left behind or is in process of growth.
Her narrative is typically from each persons point of view which is such a refreshing take on perspectives. She also used a style for a whole chapter of 'what I said was this' and 'what I wanted to say was this'. Again the tug of war between authentic and reality evident. Fascinating.
I enjoyed the reading, each moment getting more and more caught in the entangled vines she wove.... (Asha Latha ) Vine of Desire.... and it's left me hoping for more from Chitra.
Her style of writing in this book was so innovative and interesting. She uses letters. Each writing letters to different people....their mothers, aunts, friends, college submissions and even dead people . And it's through these letters that you see the stark differences between reality within, and reality without. Where the 'authentic' is either getting left behind or is in process of growth.
Her narrative is typically from each persons point of view which is such a refreshing take on perspectives. She also used a style for a whole chapter of 'what I said was this' and 'what I wanted to say was this'. Again the tug of war between authentic and reality evident. Fascinating.
I enjoyed the reading, each moment getting more and more caught in the entangled vines she wove.... (Asha Latha ) Vine of Desire.... and it's left me hoping for more from Chitra.
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