INDEPENDENCE: A NOVEL
Set during the partition of 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 struggle against powerful odds.
SYNOPSIS: In a 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 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 and 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. A BOOK OF THE MONTH PICK.
Publication: Independence is available in India (HarperCollins India) and in the US (William Morrow/HarperCollins).
Film Rights: Film Rights for Independence have been optioned by Temple Hill. Directors wishing to collaborate, please contact Alli Dyer, alli@templehillent.com.
REVIEWS:
Booklist Starred Review: “A brilliant novel. . . a highly nuanced tale, stirringly depicted by Divakaruni in unforgettable prose.”
Publisher’s Weekly Starred Review: “A dazzling tale, hair-raising. . . . Divakaruni seamlessly weaves the political upheaval into the characters’ lives while also depicting the beauty, vitality, and vastness of India. This is a must.”
FirstPost: “One of Divakaruni’s greatest strengths as a novelist is the sheer strength of her characterisation. 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.”
New Indian Express: “Independence binds the reader in a spell. The narration is beguilingly informal and taut, while the storyline is immense yet immediate. It is extremely rare that an author establishes such a spontaneous rapport with an unknown reader. With this novel, Divakaruni firmly marks her territory among the foremost storytellers of this nation and of her destiny.”
More Review and Interview links for Independence:
HINDUSTAN TIMES - https://www.hindustantimes.com/books/review-independence-by-chitra-banerjee-divakaruni-101671458675483.html
SUNDAY MIDDAY – https://www.mid-day.com/sunday-mid-day/article/am-i-scared-i-am-terrified-but-i-want-readers-to-look-at-our-history-23260026
OPEN MAGAZINE – https://openthemagazine.com/lounge/books/nationhood-and-sisterhood/
SUNDAY STANDARD/THE NEW INDIAN EXPRESS - https://www.newindianexpress.com/lifestyle/books/2022/dec/18/independence-book-review-love-in-the-time-of-violence-2528506.html
FINANCIAL EXPRESS - https://www.financialexpress.com/lifestyle/prisoners-of-independence-a-saga-of-partition-told-with-women-at-its-centre/2917987/
THE TELEGRAPH - https://www.telegraphindia.com/my-kolkata/people/chitra-banerjee-divakaruni-gets-candid-with-the-telegraph/cid/1903573
SHE THE PEOPLE - https://www.shethepeople.tv/books/independence-chitra-banerjee-divakaruni/
OUTLOOK - https://www.outlookindia.com/culture-society/the-women-of-the-ganguly-family-weekender_story-238492
DECCCAN HERALD - https://www.deccanherald.com/sunday-herald/sunday-herald-books/bookrack-for-the-week-nov-12-to-nov-19-1161079.html
ALL ABOUT EVE – https://allabouteve.co.in/independence-by-chitra-banerjee-divakaruni-book-review/
PLATFORM MAG - https://www.platform-mag.com/literature/independence.html
THE TELEGRAPH -
