Sneha Mathan’s smooth, warm voice immediately engages listeners with Divakaruni’s well-researched and moving novel about the 1947 partition of British colonial India into India and Pakistan. Told from the points of view of three sisters who make starkly different choices during that tumultuous time, the story illuminates the era’s hopes and terrors in an emotionally intimate way. Mathan interprets the protagonists’ distinctive personalities with subtle shifts in tone and timbre that highlight their characters without making them into caricatures. Her composed delivery keeps us listening through the occasional frightening and sad scenes so that we understand the enormity of what’s at stake. And when love appears, the yearning in her voice will warm your heart. A.C.S. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine
Independence: A Novel
Narrated by Sneha Mathan
Chitra Banerjee DivakaruniUnabridged — 10 hours, 1 minutes
Independence: A Novel
Narrated by Sneha Mathan
Chitra Banerjee DivakaruniUnabridged — 10 hours, 1 minutes
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Overview
“Divakaruni tells the story of India's independence through the eyes of three sisters, each of whom is uniquely different, with her own desires and flaws.*I cheered for them and cried with them as they move through the history of their country that is at once devastating, inspiring, and triumphant. You will, too.”-*Lisa See, #1*New York Times*bestselling author
Set during the partition of British India in 1947, a time when neighbor was pitted against neighbor and families were torn apart, award-winning author Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni's novel brings to life the sweeping story of three sisters caught up in events beyond their control, their unbreakable bond, and their incredible struggle against powerful odds.
India, 1947.
In a rural 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 deeply 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, each on different paths. They 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.
Editorial Reviews
"A powerful, gripping, and beautifully told story of three women navigating the crossroads of history. Divakaruni's eye is both unflinching and deeply compassionate, encompassing all the complexities of the sisters' lives. I couldn't put it down." — Madeline Miller, New York Times bestselling author of Circe and Song of Achilles
“A spellbinding saga of the decolonization and partition of the Indian subcontinent, with a cast of vividly drawn, compelling characters.” — Amitav Ghosh, award-winning author
“A national movement unsettles a country. Only a powerful imagination can recreate how profoundly it changes three women’s lives.” — Nayantara Sahgal, award-winning author
“Divakaruni’s latest brilliant novel coincides with the seventy-fifth anniversary of the independence of India from British rule and its partition into India, Pakistan, and East Pakistan (now Bangladesh). With great attention to detail regarding the political and religious upheaval this caused and its impact on ordinary citizens, Divakaruni tells a highly nuanced tale of a Hindu Bengali family living in the village of Ranipur near Calcutta…Woven throughout their stories is the violence, rage, and anguish of a divided nation, all stirringly depicted by Divakaruni in unforgettable prose.” — Booklist (starred review)
"Divakaruni captures the upheaval and devastation of the partition of British India in this dazzling tale of three Hindu sisters caught up in the violent events...This is a must." — Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"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 of whom is uniquely different, with her own desires and flaws. I cheered for them and cried with them as they move through the history of their country that is at once devastating, inspiring, and triumphant. You will, too." — Lisa See, #1 New York Times bestselling author
“One of Divakaruni’s greatest strengths as a novelist is the sheer strength of her characterization. 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.” — First Post
“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 around you.” — Chicago Tribune
"The author’s latest novel is an engaging family saga that explores resilience against a backdrop of violent national upheaval. The story is well paced as it follows its cast of characters through a chaotic world while still capturing the rich interiority of each of the three daughters. A moving depiction of family life following great loss." — Kirkus Reviews
“Lyrical and richly detailed, Independence explores the implications of its title not only for a country, but for the young women who must learn to deal with a perilous, exciting new world.” — Shelf Awareness
"As a story of strife and social disarray, of blind hatred and clear-sighted courage, Independence speaks to the present moment. With its limpid and luminous prose, it effortlessly brings home the lessons of our past." — Scroll.in
“The title Independence refers not only to the Indian freedom struggle but to women’s struggle for freedom. Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, who teaches creative writing at the University of Houston, has written a powerful novel that will resonate across cultures. Three Sisters, with its Chekhovian echo, would be a good title as well.” — New York Journal of Books
Devastating, inspiring, and triumphant.”
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 around you.
Divakaruni proves herself adept with all the tools in the writer’s toolbox…Divakaruni makes use of two major writerly tools that seldom go together—tragic drama, and screwball comedy. What’s more, she finds entirely fresh ways to mete out the tropes of the South Asian immigrant story…hilarity deepens and clarifies the story’s dark tones…an heirloom tapestry.
Emotionally accessible…Divakaruni balances the ache of separation with the thrills of independence and self-discovery…her characteristic passion, nerve and insight into the troubled soul are here in full.
A novel about female strength and ambition and how one mother’s decision can affect the lives of her family for generations to come.
Collapses the walls dividing characters and cultures; what endures is a chorus of voices in one single room.
Affecting.
Sneha Mathan’s smooth, warm voice immediately engages listeners with Divakaruni’s well-researched and moving novel about the 1947 partition of British colonial India into India and Pakistan. Told from the points of view of three sisters who make starkly different choices during that tumultuous time, the story illuminates the era’s hopes and terrors in an emotionally intimate way. Mathan interprets the protagonists’ distinctive personalities with subtle shifts in tone and timbre that highlight their characters without making them into caricatures. Her composed delivery keeps us listening through the occasional frightening and sad scenes so that we understand the enormity of what’s at stake. And when love appears, the yearning in her voice will warm your heart. A.C.S. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine
2022-10-26
The members of a Hindu family torn apart during the chaos of Partition in India try to rebuild their lives and community in this deeply felt novel.
Nabakumar, a Bengali village doctor, and Bina, his quiltmaker wife, are looking forward to India’s independence from British rule and the possibilities they hope it will bring for their three daughters: Deepa, Jamini, and Priya, whether in terms of marriages or educational pursuits. Instead, despite his optimism for the future, Nabakumar is killed during a riot that follows a Muslim political party meeting outside of his medical clinic in Calcutta, a loss which upends the family and renders them even more dependent on their neighbors. In the aftermath, mother and daughters struggle to earn money and to ensure their own safety. Deepa must hide her relationship with a Muslim man and is disowned by her mother when it is discovered. Their secret cross-religion marriage becomes even more dangerous as her husband becomes politically powerful in the Muslim League, and the two must relocate to the newly created Pakistan. Priya is at a loss for how to follow in her father’s footsteps to become a doctor, especially after she is denied entry to a local college due to ongoing discrimination against women. When she is accepted into medical school in the United States after an offer to finance her education, the decision of whether to pursue her dreams strains her relationship with Amit, a longtime family friend and her fiance, whom Jamini is also in love with. As the threats mount, the sisters are forced to rely on each other once again in a culminating rush of events. The author’s latest novel is an engaging family saga that explores resilience against a backdrop of violent national upheaval. The story is well paced as it follows its cast of characters through a chaotic world while still capturing the rich interiority of each of the three daughters.
A moving depiction of family life following great loss.
Product Details
| BN ID: | 2940175708715 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | HarperCollins |
| Publication date: | 01/17/2023 |
| Edition description: | Unabridged |
| Sales rank: | 1,061,156 |
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