THE FOREST OF ENCHANTMENTS

A FEMINIST RETELLING OF THE RAMAYANA

The Ramayana, one of the world's greatest epics, is also a tragic love story. In this brilliant retelling, on which she worked for a decade, Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni places Sita at the center of the novel, telling her story in her own inimitable voice. Readers will be wonderstruck by her journey from the great city of Ayodhya to the forests with her beloved husband, the exiled Ram; her abduction by the ferocious demon king Ravan; her return, in triumph, to the city; and the final, unexpected tragedy which she must undergo. Laced with Sita’s joys and sorrows, her agony and her triumph, her heartbreak and her resilience,The Forest of Enchantments also invites us into the lives of other women who are misunderstood and relegated to the margins: Kaikeyi, Surpanakha, Mandodari. A powerful comment on duty, betrayal, infidelity, and honor, it highlights the struggle of women to retain or regain autonomy in a world that privileges men. Divakaruni transforms an ancient story into a gripping, contemporary battle of wills. While the Ramayana resonates even today, she makes it more relevant than ever through the underlying questions in the novel: How should women be treated by their loved ones? What are their rights in a relationship? When does a woman need to stand up and say, Enough?

HERE is a personal essay in which Divakaruni shares what this book—and the character of Sita—means to her.

“ A terrific read! Divakaruni has pulled off the near impossible by penning a story even more compelling than The Palace of Illusions. ”

— Ashwin Sanghi
“ A work...of pluralities and possibilities... This is the Sitayan we will give to our daughters, that they may imbibe Sita’s strength, and even more proudly to our sons, who will learn how a woman is to be treated. ”

— The Wire
“ Divakaruni’s spin on the most pivotal moment of Sita’s life, the agnipariksha episode, is a moment of feminist brilliance. Her Sita answers all the questions we would have had when listening to the Ramayana while leaving us with plenty of food for thought. ”

— The New Indian Express

REVIEWS:

‘Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni turns the Ramayana around by telling it in the voice of Sita … This inversion is a gift – it presents us a with a way to know an already well-known story better and to love an already beloved story more’—Arshia Sattar

‘A terrific read! Chitra Divakaruni has pulled off the near impossible by penning a story even more compelling than The Palace of Illusions’ —Ashwin Sanghi

‘This inspired evocation of the goddess Sita is an epic song of strength and solidarity told with joy and intensity. It brings to life the personalities and predicaments of the Ramayana’ —Namita Gokhale

‘Among the many, many Ramayanas there are now even—thankfully—some “Sitayanas”, but I know of none with the special magic that Chitra Divakaruni … brings to the telling’—Philip Lutgendorf

‘Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni’s Sita … is an epitome of courage and self-respect, showing a path for all women. While weaving a familiar story, Chitra provides deep and surprising insights’ —Volga

‘In recasting the Ramayan as a love story Divakaruni accords Sita parity with Ram, revealing her innate strength. By giving primacy to her thoughts and feelings this also becomes the private tale of Shri and Shrimati Ramchandra Raghuvanshi, two wonderful people who loved each other but who broke up. To readers well-acquainted with that tragedy of modern times, the failed marriage, it will appeal. The ending, however, surpasses all expectations.’ The Sunday Standard

‘The success of both The Palace Of Illusions and The Forest Of Enchantments hinges acutely on the skill with which Divakaruni deploys the narratorial voice.’ Mint

‘The Forest of Enchantments is one of the simplest and most beautiful retellings of Sage Valmiki’s epic.’ Jetwings

‘Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni does justice to the women of Ramayana…The Forest of Enchantments is not just a retelling of a much-told epic, rather it is a book that tells it like it is —balanced and non-judgmental.’ Huffpost

‘A work...of pluralities and possibilities...This is the Sitayan we will give to our daughters, that they may imbibe Sita’s strength, and even more proudly to our sons, who will learn how a woman is to be treated’ The Wire

‘Banerjee is markedly feminist…Her spin on the most pivotal moment of Sita’s life, the agnipariksha episode, is a moment of feminist brilliance. Her Sita answers all the questions we would have had when listening to the Ramayana while leaving us with plenty of food for thought.’ The New Indian Express

‘Divakaruni’s retelling reminds her readers that the Ramayana, besides being a morality tale, is a love story at its heart’ Huffpost

‘Divakaruni and her women characters are a formidable pair.’ The Wire