Sister of My Heart : A Novel

Rating:
Summary: High-pitched intensity!
Review: Interesting, imaginative, poetic, but unrealistic. Ruby caves in the Sunderbans? Give me a break! The plot line imitates Mrs. Henry Wood's East Lynne where the wife reappears disguised and becomes nanny to the family. Poetic prose is alright in small doses but extravagance can cloy. Sudha's stories are unrealistic, even bizarre, and there is little to distinguish the characters' dialogue. They all talk the same way. In fact, do people actually speak in such long poetic paragraphs? The author should beware of a characteristic in contemporary Indian women writers that smacks of exaggeration: larger-than-life women, weak/imperfect men. It looks like feminism is finding its balance in the West, but Indian women writers have just discovered it.

Rating:
Summary: An enchanting read!
Review: I am only halfway through this wonderful novel, but I had to stop and share my thoughts about it in hopes they'd encourage otehrs to not pass by this novel. The author's writing is enchanting and full of colour and texture - making the novel an experience and not just a read. Her portrayal of growing up under the conflict between traditional Indian values and "modern" Westernized thought is remarkably able and thought-provoking. Her characters are engaging and alive. This novel is absolutely enchanting, and I can't wait to see what Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni will offer in the future.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent book well worth reading
Review: While I was sick with the flu, I read Sister of my Heart and The Mistress of Spices. Both of these books alleviated my misery! Sister of my Heart is an extension/augmentation of the short story "The Ultrasound" which is found in Arranged Marriage, another book that I recommend. I strongly suggest including all of Ms. Banerjee Divakaruni's work in your personal library. I hope that you will enjoy her work as much as I have.

Rating:
Summary: Needs a good, hard dose of reality
Review: Ruby mines and leftover tales from 'Arranged Marriage' do not a good novel make. The author has a distressing tendency to 'exoticise' India and feed the imagination of the West. Technical skills are lacking, too: though the story is told in two 'voices', by two different characters, they sound identical. And finally, another hangover from 'Arranged Marriage' that finds its way into the book -- the message that to lead a life of worth, one must leave India and settle in the US. Ms Divakaruni, are you even aware of the subtext of your novels and short stories?

Rating:
Summary: This is a delightfully intense book.
Review: I started to read this book condensed in a magazine & loved it so much I stopped & bought the book - I didn't want to miss anything! I love her style of writing, the vivid descriptions brought the Indian culture to life for me. The author is familiar with all the highs and lows of human emotions and portrays them excellently. Sudha and Anju seem real to me although I myself have never had such a close relationship with another woman.

Rating:
Summary: It grips you from the start that you can't put it down.
Review: The story starts from the first page and holds you throughout. Its narration back and forth between the 2-main characters flows beautifully and reads almost like a conversation. Both girls are so different and it's nice to get the perspective from each one. My only criticism is that it seems she left the ending open for a sequel.

Rating:
Summary: mesmerizing storytelling...
Review: This is the first work by Ms. Divakaruni that I've read and I'm still in a daze! What a picture she's given me of life in Calcutta and how she's reminded me of the bonds women have with each other. I had to stop reading several times & walk around my house, just to remind myself that I was really in South Carolina. She has expressed so many beautiful and wrenching images that I feel blessed to have discovered this wonderful writer.

Rating:
Summary: Exquisite. An unqualified triumph.
Review: After reading only the first chapter, I could not put this book out of my mind. I found myself resenting every chore and appointment that took me away from "Sister of My Heart." Divakaruni gives us a powerful voice in Suddha, and the interchange of perspectives between the two "sisters" is quite effective. This book is utterly unforgettable -- one of the best novels I have read in a long time. I bought copies for all of my close girlfriends...

Rating:
Summary: Feel slighted by the author
Review: I have been an avid fan of Chitra Divakaruni. This novel was gripping, interesting and amazing .The writing style, story-telling and the way she navigates between the characters is quite thrilling. I was completely absorbed by the novel until the point came when we are told about Sudha's dilemma (not being able to concieve). With very slight changes to sudha's character -- it is exactly the same story presented in "Arranged Marraiges" - The Ultrasound. I kept reading further hoping that Sudha's situation will be handled differently than Runnu's but I was disappointed. It felt like Chitra Divakaruni was recycling the story, trying to get to an easy wrap-up. She led us down such a winding and lovely path only to come back to this familiar end.

Rating:
Summary: TOUCHING, INTERESTING, LEAVES YOU WANTING MORE!
Review: Once again, Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni has written a book that is lyrical, informative and keeps the reader enthralled. Sister of My Heart is part adventure, part romance, mixed in with old world traditions. Anju and Sudha, the two main characters, grow up fatherless in a house with "three mothers" - each one's birth mother and their aunt. One mother is hard-working, another is melodramatic, and the aunt is a master storyteller. Divakaruni kept my interest up all throughout the book. The relationship between Anju and Sudha is one of powerful love; a bond that could not be broken, in spite of jealousy, love and tradition. I highly recommend this book!