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Summary: Amazing!!
Review: Sister of My heart is the most intriguing book i have read in a very long time. i am a high school student and enjoyed this book very much. It is great for all ages. The author is terrific and shows the compassion forr each character very well.
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Summary: Made Me to Smile at all Indian Woman I see
Review: I decided to read this book after I heard writer’s interview in the local radio station despite the fact that I hadn't read fiction in quiet some time.
When she read few lines from the book with her Indian accent, it was like a music to my ear.
The book is very well written that you could imagine yourself being present in Anju and Sudha’s (main characters) life. The idea of having two narrator was very unique too.
I have been always fascinated by Indian culture , and this book made me to appreciate the people even more. Nowadays whenever I see an Indian women, I feel so close to their heart that I can’t stop smiling at them.
I hope that other good writers from other culture including mine (Persian) start introducing their culture and people by the art of story-telling.
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Summary: It's not often you find a book like this!
Review: I have read many, many books in my lifetime, and this one would definitely be in the top 10. What other book combines love, tragedy, mystery, humor, and social defiance into one irresistable story? Divakaruni's descriptions of exotic Calcutta are so supremely detailed that you feel you are there. The way she weaves together the lives of Sudha and Anju, and the secret that comes between them, is incredible. The two Indian cousins have grown up as sisters, until one of them learns this incredible secret. Even as their aranged marriages pull them to opposite ends of the earth, the girls come to realize that in the end, they have only each other to count on. I would reccomend this to anyone who is tired of modern literature being dull and unfulfilling. This will surely fill your heart with such love for the characters that you wish their story would never end.
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Summary: One of the best books I've read in a long time....
Review: This novel was wonderful! I found myself unable to put the book down as author Banerjee takes you inside the lives of Anju and Sudha and allows you to feel an immediate connection to them. Banerjee does a remarkable job of showing how a woman can break the molds and castings society creates. With a certain sense of innocence, she displays how a woman is strong and independent, yet weak and vulnerable at the same time. With a dramatic surprise ending that brought tears to my eyes, the story makes you appreciate the "sisters of your heart" that you have in your own life. This book is a must read and would make a wonderful gift to any girlfriend, mother, or sister.
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Summary: Just lovely
Review: It's just awesome. Divakaruni's characters are so very real, you can't help but bond with them and soon you will find yourself smiling their smiles and crying their tears. There is no big mystery in the story, you can pretty much figure out the plot early on but that didn't dampen my mood a bit as she is an amazing story teller. The writing is smooth and affortless it feels like you are sitting there and 'listening' to their touching saga.
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Summary: Can't wait to read the sequel
Review: SISTER OF MY HEART by Chitra Banerjee DivaruniSISTER OF MY HEART by Chitra Banerjee Divaruni is a beautifully written story of two girls who are as close as two sisters can be. The story takes place in late 20th Century India. Anju and Sudha are two cousins who are born on the same day and are raised as sisters by their mothers and Aunt. Both of their fathers died before they were born, but their "mothers" Pishi, Nalini and Gouri raise them up to be proper girls, making sure they get an education and are made ready as marriage material when the time comes. The two girls are different as night and day. Anju is plain while Sudha is beautiful. Anju is the bookworm, whose dream is to manage her mother's bookstore when she is of age. Sudha's dreams involve designing clothes and becoming famous. The two are inseparable despite their differences, until Sudha finds out about a horrible family secret that changes everything that came before. With this secret weighing deep in her heart, Sudha withdraws and changes, and refuses to tell Anju what is wrong. And when Sudha is told that she has been arranged to marry a man she does not love, her life turns for the worse. Anju's marriage takes her far away to America, and soon their lives seem to be on different paths. But despite the distance and the secrets that they hide, their love binds them, as the reader will find out. For a trip to modern day India and a wonderful story of sisterly love, read SISTER OF MY HEART. The book had plenty of Indian fables and myths and traditions, along with plot twists and mysteries that will keep the reader wanting more. When I finished this book, I did not want it to end. I am glad to know that there is a sequel, THE VINE OF DESIRE, which I am looking forward to reading soon. Thumbs up for SISTER OF MY HEART.
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Summary: A Good Book Club Book , Fun for Individual Readers
Review: I read "Sister of My Heart" for a book club of well educated suburban women. Most members enjoyed it. More important, the book provided plenty of fodder for a robust discussion.
The book begins in India. Two cousins, the beautiful Sudha and the intelligent Anju, are being raised in the same fatherless household. The book narrates the youth and early adulthood of these two women, both of whom eventually enter arranged marriages. Now Sister of My Heart takes place in the late 20th century--many women in my book club were educated about the mixture of tradition with more modern customs in India throughout this book.
Eventually Anju moves to the US with her husband and gradually becomes more "americanized." Yet the bond of the two cousins remains strong and they are there for each other during tough times and tragedy. The book has an interesting twist near the end, which provoked discussion in my group.
I would recommend this book for individuals interested in "women themed" books with some literary aspirations. All those good female issues-bonding, body image, beauty, relationships with mothers and husbands-are here, albeit from the vantage point of a different culture. I also would recommend this book for individuals who like to read about different cultures and traditions. You will learn a lot from this book. I wouldn't recommend this book for most men or for individuals who require Western setting in their books.
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Summary: breathtaking
Review: the author is a master at similies and emotions. I was stunned when I picked up this book in the library by chance and opened the pages. The complex story is perfectly balanced and the author's perceptions of human life and story are amazing.
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Summary: Wonderfull book
Review: I first read The vine of Desire, I couldnot put it down.Make sure to read Sister of My Heart first. Then one will understand what is going on between Sudha and Anju.It took me back home.
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Summary: Sister of My Heart: A Story of Courage
Review: Divakaruni's compelling tale of two young cousins explores the struggle of women to survive in India's patriarchal society where they have no voice, no value, and few choices. Each chapter is told in the voice of Anju or Sudah, fatherless cousins raised by three strong women, and the changes in tone and focus reflect their growth and exposure to the hardships of life. Divakaruni's beautifully poetical prose becomes the rhythmical heartbeat of this novel, and the hearts of her readers will be touched by her quiet portrayal of generational bondage versus indomitable will. Full of surprising plot twists, Sister of My Heart is a magical love story destined to become a classic.
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