by Jan Wright

Created on: April 24, 2010   Last Updated: April 26, 2010

"Arranged Marriage," is the first book that I have read by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni. It is a collection of short stories surrounding immigration and marriage for Indian women. Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni is an accomplished Indian Author who has written many books such as ""Sister of My Heart," "Queen of Dreams," "The Mistress of Spices," "The Palace of Illusions," and such short stories as "The Unknown errors of our lives." I have not read other selections by Divakaruni, thus, I do not know if this compilation of short stories is similar to her other works. I would, however, read other works by Divakaruni. I would like to explore her  novels to discover how she elaborates on the situations of her characters and how she develops them into her storylines. Although I must admit that I found the collection to be a bit melancholy, I found the writing style and stories quite enjoyable.

Divakaruni does help one to understand the culture and provide some insight into the lifestyle and familial bonds of the Indian woman. Since I have read selections from other authors about SouthEast Asia, I did not utilize the glossary, however, for readers who are less knowledgeable, this might prove to be a valuable edition. 

 While there was a sense of doom and later stories seemed to be a bit predictable, I had my favorites for their storyline and character portrayals.  "Clothes," is the story of  a naive Indian bride who joins her husband in America and discovers the joys and trials as a wife and a widow.    In "A Perfect Life," a woman finds an orphan boy and learns much about being a mother and negotiating relationships. "the Maid Servant," is a wonderfully woven story that is actually set in India, about the complexities and intricate relationships of and between maidservants, wives and their families.  "Ultrasound," explores the similarities and differences between the lives of two pregnant women - one living in California and one in a traditional Indian home.

I find that Banerjee describes lives and the emotions that women cycle through quite well. I must admit, however, I can not speak to the authenticity of her portrayal of the Indian woman who comes to live in America.  Although most of her stories had a depressing tone and I must admit that most of the men were either emotional deficient and/or undesirable in some way, the stories still smacked of real life experiences.

Learn more about this author, Jan Wright.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.