Sister of My Heart: A Novel Paperback – January 18, 2000

This is by far my ultimate favorite fiction novel.It was a very defining moment in my life when I read “Sister of My Heart” in 1998 when I was in my early 20s, newly married, newly migrated to the America I had only heard of, from an Eastern country I had only ever lived in.So I completely identified with the two main characters, this captivating story, their phenomenal bond & the whole whirlpool of emotions it immersed me into.Anju & Sudha ache my heart even to this day & although I’ve read & loved several books of a variety of genres & authors, no one comes close to the storytelling of Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni & the chiseled characters like Anju & Sudha!I’ve had the privilege of meeting Chitra in person for the launch & reading session of one of her newer books, but it is this precise book that I wanted her autograph on, because that’s how much I adore “Sisters of My Heart.”I see bits & pieces of Anju & Sudha in my bestie & me, which is what makes this book all the more precious to me!

SISTER OF MY HEART by Chitra Banerjee DivaruniSISTER OF MY HEART by Chitra Banerjee Divaruni is a beautifully written story of two girls who are as close as two sisters can be. The story takes place in late 20th Century India. Anju and Sudha are two cousins who are born on the same day and are raised as sisters by their mothers and Aunt. Both of their fathers died before they were born, but their "mothers" Pishi, Nalini and Gouri raise them up to be proper girls, making sure they get an education and are made ready as marriage material when the time comes.The two girls are different as night and day. Anju is plain while Sudha is beautiful. Anju is the bookworm, whose dream is to manage her mother's bookstore when she is of age. Sudha's dreams involve designing clothes and becoming famous. The two are inseparable despite their differences, until Sudha finds out about a horrible family secret that changes everything that came before. With this secret weighing deep in her heart, Sudha withdraws and changes, and refuses to tell Anju what is wrong. And when Sudha is told that she has been arranged to marry a man she does not love, her life turns for the worse. Anju's marriage takes her far away to America, and soon their lives seem to be on different paths. But despite the distance and the secrets that they hide, their love binds them, as the reader will find out.For a trip to modern day India and a wonderful story of sisterly love, read SISTER OF MY HEART. The book had plenty of Indian fables and myths and traditions, along with plot twists and mysteries that will keep the reader wanting more. When I finished this book, I did not want it to end. I am glad to know that there is a sequel, THE VINE OF DESIRE, which I am looking forward to reading soon. Thumbs up for SISTER OF MY HEART.

I read Sister of My Heart because amazon.com's computer said that people who enjoyed Rohinton Mistry's work would also enjoy this book. IT was right. I enjoyed reading every moment of the story of two cousins growing up in Calcutta, India under somewhat unusual circumstances. Their fathers both were killed in an accident just before they were born. Their mothers, unrelated, go into labor upon hearing the news of the accident. The story takes them through their arranged marriages, and their falling in love. The novel is somewhat autobiographical but definitely totally genuine and authentic throughout. Divakaruni writes beautifully and her story will hold your interest. AND, even better, there is a sequel so you can follow the two cousins' lives in America in the second book. Divakaruni is also a wonderful poet.

Overall, a good one-time read mostly because the descriptions are very vivid. Having grown up in South Asia and now living away, it made me very nostalgic. (My mother is from Calcutta and the places mentioned were very familiar as well). There are some twists and turns that kept me going but nothing that made me want to read it again.While the problems and situations portrayed do happen (although far less in recent times), there is a severe lack of showing the good side of Indian culture, marriage and men. All men are not controlling, in-laws are not always so oppressive and marriages aren't always arranged nor so bad. Most importantly, a big part of Indian culture is the close-knit and supportive family and friends - which is totally lacking in the story. All the tea-time aunties are portrayed as malicious gossipers. Where is Gouri's family or Pishi's other relatives? The author makes it seem that once a woman is married, her family disconnects from her and all other women (apart from the Chatterjee household) want to do is gossip and hurt each other. Way too much exaggeration and very lopsided portrayal. For those not familiar with the culture, this would paint a very incomplete and inaccurate picture.However, nothing can beat the ruby mine adventure in the jungles... so far fetched and silly that I almost put the book away at that point (and continued to read only because of the high ratings). A better reason for the men's disappearance would have made it more realistic. The plot is also very weak. By the end, when everything comes together, the story has a soap opera feel to it.

I loved this book! Beautiful and engaging story!! A friend gave me a copy, and I couldn’t put it down! I bought another copy for my sister, and 2 days after giving it to her, she called to say she’d finished it and loved it!