Rating: 
Summary: India Class
Review: This book was one of the best books I have ever read. The bond between these two girls is indescribable. Even though out all the lies and secrets they still know they can count on each other. Both girls showed courage and strengh that many women lack today. The relationships between the women in this book is something to be admired. Not just between Audja and Sudha, but the relationship they have with their mothers and their anut. Ms. Divakaruni has a great way of making the caractors in dept without boring. She keeps the story line moving, making a very interesting and unique plot. I highy recommond this book to anyone male or female. It will become one of your favorite books.
Rating:
Summary: Fiction truer than fact
Review: I picked this book up in the bookshop of the Oberoi hotel in New Delhi while travelling in India on business. It did not disappoint me! After I got about half way through it, I could barely stand to put it down. I enjoyed the writing style very much, and I was especially pleased with the character development. I had feared that she would not let them grow up, or rather that they'd get stuck in the infatuated-with-romance stage of life, which would not be surprising for girls raised entirely in the company of women. But no, though they are still young when the book ends, they have grown up. I liked the things the author chose to resolve and to not resolve by the end of the book. I loved how she let the characters change their minds and feelings when they get new information or experience. Very true to life. Very beautiful.
Rating: 
Summary: simply spellbinding!
Review: This is a story just made for me - perfect in all its twists and turns, and even though I had an inkling as to the main twist before it came still the story was so often heart wrenching I often felt the tears welling up! I especilly like the fact that, though the ending is perfect, you know it's not realy the end, not everything is tied up perfectly, you know there will be problems (with Sunil, for example) and people waiting backstage to come back on (no, I won't give the plot away!)but you know the girls have reached maturity and will be capable of dealing with everything that comes their way. The only reason I give it 4 stars and not 5 is because the style is in my opinion over the top in some cases, a little heavy handed in the metaphors (time creeping along like a crippled animal etc) and also because I really don't like any books written in the present tense - I find it somehow jarring. But don't let this turn you off - READ IT! (And if you like this you might also like "of marriageable age" (Sharon Maas), which is another heart wrenching Indian-background story)
Rating:
Summary: Excellent!
Review: I find that anything Indian has this bizarre ability to capture and hold my attention, simply because almost every Indian author I have ever read has this exotic way of writing which reminds me of freshly baked Naan bread and the smell of spices. This author in particular, does not disappoint with her fluent, poetic novel about the bond of relatives and the losses of life. I believe this novel is slightly better than her acclaimed and more mystical'Mistress of Spice', though both are well worth the read, and give an insight into Indian life without the length of 'A Suitable Husband' or the contriversy of Salman Rushdie. Chitra is a wonderful writer, and I cannot wait to find the spare moments to read 'Arranged Marriages'. I recommend this book, because it is not only immensly interesting but poetic and beautiful.
Rating:
Summary: Divakaruni Knows How to Take You Away
Review: "Sister of My Heart" illustrates such imagery and plays with human emotions in such a way that the novel is absolutely unforgettable. Although the reader feels incredible indignation at the injustice that Suda and Anju face, the richness of detail that the author shares employs all the senses of the reader. I couldn't help but find this book bliss to read.
Rating:
Summary: THE WRITING WILL CAPTURE YOUR ATTENTION AND YOUR HEART!
Review: This is a really wonderful read. The main characters are cousins, Sudha and Anju are introduced so beautifully that I found myself intrigued by their depth. Without giving too much away, the writing is beautiful and anything but predictable. The strength of character protrayed by these characters may seem beyond belief, but I believe this is because for those of us born and raised in the US, we can't fathom the limits placed on women in other parts of the world.
Rating: 
Summary: a guilty pleasure
Review: I thought a lot of the story was pretty unbelievable in true soap opera fashion. But, in true soap opera fashion, you still want to find out what is going to happen.It did bother me, though, that Divakaruni recycled some of the text from one of her short stories in "Arranged Marriages". Having read the short story first, a lot of the suspense of the novel was spoiled. Readers expecting a novel in the vein of Jhumpa Lahiri of Arundathi Roy, you will be disappointed, but if you are looking for a bit of escapism, then this book is thoroughly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Heart warming and touching
Review: I could not put this book down. I highly recommend it to anyone that has a close friend or a sister that you can't imagine losing. It is funny at parts, and sad at parts and so touching. The characters are so rich and wonderful that they become a part of you. I was sad to see it end.
Rating:
Summary: Inspiring... But biting off of Arundhati Roy's style?
Review: I thought Divakaruni masterfully threaded in mystery about Sudha's past into the story, and I like how there was closure in the plot, even though an uncertain future lay in front of the characters that would go beyond the end of the novel. Divakaruni expertly portrayed the different traits of Indian women, and the empowerment she gave her characters was truly inspiring! As I read, I kept comparing the book to "The God of Small Things", in which Arundhati Roy employs a lot of similar style techniques, so I'm not sure if I'd say Divakaruni was 100% original, as a South Asian female writer, hence the 4 stars instead of 5. However, I couldn't put the book down... A must-read for any woman of South Asian descent!
Rating:
Summary: Left me breathless
Review: I bought this book on a whim at the bookstore and absolutely could not stop reading it. Exquisitely descriptive, with wonderfully drawn characters. I finished it on a plane, sobbing because it was so beautiful an ending (of course the businessman I was sitting next to thought I was nuts). Highest recommendations.
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