Independence: A Gripping Historical Novel of Sisterhood and Struggle During India's Fight for Independence in 1947

What a stunning novel in both language and construction. The way Divakaruni wove history into the story of three sisters was masterful, and the ending was perfect, even though painful. She writes so well about relationships between women as witnessed in some of her previous books also. She has great knowledge of human nature, and most particularly of that of women. I could not put this book down and read it in just three days. Her writing always re-ignites my love of India and I look forward to traveling in that wonderful land again. Her book readings are not to be missed either as she is humorous, humble and above all authentic. I look forward to her next novel!

I always check out any book that offers cultural diversity and have read many books about India overtime. And not becausemy husband is Indian, because I love historical fiction. This was a good and fast read for me. The character development was strong and true. Because this story contained a lot about Indian partition I was a little bit caught off guard by the historical report of the incredible violence that occurred. It was very graphic and true, but a titch disturbing. I wouldn't tell anyone to not read this book but I would mention the accurate history and the horrors of 2hat millions of people endured during partition and country division

Even though I could guess what was coming (this is about independence and the partition, so we already know the horrors and heartache), I was somewhat soothed by Divakaruni's hopeful and poetic prose. A good story with endearing and brave characters.

I have a lot of Indian friends, but I have to admit I didn't know anything about the history of the country. And to think this all happened just before I was born! This book tells the story of a Hindu family with three daughters. Each daughter has a very different personality, of course, and follows her own path as India is going through the total upheaval of becoming independent, then splitting into two countries. The family suffers through more than any family should have to endure with each person following her heart. Deepa, the oldest daughter, falls in love with a Muslim man and risks everything to be with him at a time when the two religions are slaughtering each other. Jamini, the middle child, just hopes for an easy life with her parents, but is secretly in love with a rich family friend, Amit. Priya, the youngest, has always wanted to follow in her father's footsteps and become a doctor, even as she plans to marry her best friend, Amit. Honestly, this book was so good that as soon as I finished, I put all of the author's other books on my Amazon wish list!

I haven’t read the book yet but am excited to! The book was inexpensive and was in great condition when it arrived. I was surprised to receive a Book of the Month copy but for such a low cost I shouldn’t be too shocked.

Really liked this book. Always good to read the novel, check names on the internet, and learn about India history. Fascinating.

I loved the characters in this book. The hopeful, ambitious, chess playing daughter, the dutiful, obedient, less glamourous daughter and the talented, social daughter drawn outside the bounds of her Hindu family. One cannot imagine the ways in which their lives will diverge. An outlandish adventure grounded in real possibilities of the time.

Synopsis: India, 1947. It’s a very dangerous time for the nation as it’s divided into two parts: India for Hindus and Pakistan for Muslims. Three sisters are forging very different paths as well; one longs to be married, another to be a doctor and the third, keeping a very dangerous romance a secret. Review: This was a very powerful book that opened my eyes to a time in history that I didn’t know much about (why historical fiction is so great!) but the writing style took me some time to get used to and it was super sad. Probably not something I would recommend but it really was an interesting read. @mywanderlustlibrary

#bookreview Independence After a long time read a book which not only kept me going for the next page and the next, but also stayed with me long after the book was over. This is how master storytellers do it. Chitra has always been one of my favourite authors and here she is yet again hitting the ball right out of the park. I confess being a Bengali born post partition and raised in Kolkata with regular visits to my maternal and paternal roots back to the villages near Shantiniketan, this book resonated a lot. The lives of the protagonist though at a different time and each of the Rabindrasangeets and Nazrul Geetis hit a cord home. This is a story of 3 sisters and their doctor father and homemaker mother living in a village in Bengal with the backdrop being the Independence, partition and of course the gruesome riots. The unique personalities of each of the sisters their dreams and ambitions intertwined with their fathers friend and the local Zamindar and his son. The book gives you a feel of little women but it then transports you to the life and times of the birth of our nation. When the euphoria of the new found Independence is mixed with one of the most gut wrenching violence that the country has ever seen. She even introduces characters like Sarojini Naidu in flesh and blood and enthrals us with the fiery ambition of one of the sisters who wants to become a doctor. The selflessness and goodness of people surrounding the protagonists in the middle of such chaotic and violent times lends a beautiful harmony and balance to the story. For me personally the book was unputdownable as there was so much I could relate to, from the foliage and topography to the clothing and music and food. I am so grateful to Chitra for bringing it all to life in such an authentic manner. I suggest don’t miss this treat at any cost if stories of humanity and history interest you. #independence #chitrabanerjeedibakaruni #partition #humanity #history #india #loveforbooks #harpercollins

Emotional read, well written with enough history woven into a real story. Throughly enjoyed and would recommend to anyone interested.

Took a bit of time to get into it but once I was, i was gripped by the story of these sisters, which was deeply personal for me.

I read it with a sense of urgency which is exactly how I always end up reading all of Chitra Banerjee’s work. Highly recommend!

एकला चलो, एकला चलो, एकला चलो रे,… (Rabindranath Tagore) “A song by Tagore is playing, made popular by freedom fighters across the country. Gandhiji himself loves it. ‘एकला चोलों रे । If no one responds to your call, then walk alone.’ !” - From : Independence by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni Book : Independence Author: Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni Genre : Fiction with a tinge of non-fiction! Price : Rs.699/- No. of Pages : 285 ISBN : 978 - 93 - 5629 - 458 - 5 Available in : Hardback Language : English Published by : HarperCollins Publishers 2022 “Who is it that dares ask, ‘The drowning ones - are they Hindu or Muslim?’ Say instead, they are humans, they are the children of my motherland.” Cover : So apt with the Kantha work (quilts), conch shell, fish (Bengal) … sailboats (sailing across) illustrating ‘partition’ - Loved the embossed work. Title : Independence : So appropriate : Independence of India and Pakistan from the British Rule, independence of culture- tradition, independence of personal choices, independence of views and values… and much more. The Story : Primarily: A story of three sisters - separated by a quirk of fate ! Each sister has a unique personality of her own! Each has a passionate dream. Deepa - The beautiful, the romantic one! Jaimini - The artistic one. Sings beautifully and helps her mother to make lovely Kantha-work Quilts! The ‘one’ means to earn their livelihood. Priya - The youngest takes after her father - a doctor with noble principles. The brainy one. A doctor with high aspirations! The partition separates them … The backdrop of the story: The story revolves around the province of Bengal, during 1947. India, during the Independence was partitioned into India and Pakistan. Bengal - The eastern part of Bengal became East Pakistan (now - Bangladesh) while the western part is India’s West Bengal today. The Partition: its violence, the agitation, the destruction of the country, of human values and principles of peace and harmony- all described so well with such zeal and ardour. Finally, the reunion! Comes with all its pathos, pain, pleasures! And the twist at the end gives the story an exuberant ending. The three sisters uniting again but at what a cost! What a loss!! ***** The Content : The author has dealt with the burning-harsh topic of partition with an expertise. Not too much, not too little. How the lives of the general public was affected. Each house has a story to tell. This book tells the story of just one happy home that was ruined during the fight for our country’s Independence ! Language: Caters to all levels of readers. Excellent! The Style of Writing : Simple, relatable, so lucid! Beautiful! The choice of words is superb. The descriptions read powerfully strong. The Flow : What a flow it has! Like a river, the story flows, and you glide along with it, you swim with the tide - the waters are sometimes smooth, calm, soothing at other times disturbed, destroying, troubled, turbulent, wrenching, wrecking - shocking- horrific … It makes the novel a very fast read. I loved it. Not a moment of boredom or procrastinating or playing around a situation. Once you start reading, you simply cannot put it down! Very engaging indeed. What I loved : The alliterations! They are so excitingly eye-catching! Brilliant! One wants to read them again and again! - Priya - ‘passionate with purpose’ - (Priya has a dream) to ‘help the helpless’ - Another man in this ‘gaggle of girls’ would be a help. - ‘Boring backwaters’ village. - The slaughter here is ‘deeply, differently, dreadful.’ Excerpts : - Life was too short to waste on trivialities when one had a Goal. - When men go off to be heroes, do they even realise what it does to the women they leave behind? - She knows that the marital fate of younger sisters depends on the quality of the match made by the eldest. - The world is full of good people too … A salute to the Author 🫡 : Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni has proved her mastery at narrating historical stories to arrest the readers interest immediately. The inclusion of Rabindra Sangeet and Nazrul Geeti (songs written and composed by Kazi Nazrul Islam, the national poet of Bangladesh) lends powerful cultural essence to the story ! It lends the book such a unique flavour! We salute to her remarkable skill of capturing our hearts! A must read and a must have in your collection for generations to read and know the history of India! *****