Vine of Desire- Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

Chitra has a unique style of writing, Indian touch with a rich vocabulary,a story-teller of our granny's time.

Plot and Narration.

Sudha and Anju are childhood friends. The two young women are the center of Divakaruni’s bestselling novel Sister of My Heart.

1. Sudha- is a character to which you can relate easily. Beautiful, bunch of admirers and suitors waiting at her door-step to woe and marry her, but she chooses to marry a man of her mother’s choice who later divorces her as she traitors to give birth to Dayita her less fortunate daughter, runs away from her in-laws place later coming to America to stay with Anju her Best, Bosom friend who lives with Sunil her better-half.

Sudha depicts restlessness, passion, greed, unspoken anger, a true-misunderstood friend, unsuccessful as a wife, seductive lover.

2.Anju- Anju loves Sudha more than herself. She trusts her and wants her to lead a better life at the same time manipulating her for her lost son after her Nightmarish Miscarriage which leaves more scars on her mind than her body.

Anju depicts the good-will, hope, despair, friendship, infidelity, love which we all seek and despise at some point of our lives.

3.Sunil- He is a husband that all woman dream of. Caring and loving. Earning well.Sunil secretly loves Sudha but was never able to express for the fear of hurting Anju. Now when Sudha joins them in America his nocturnal, manly feelings are aroused and they finally make love to each other later repenting it bitterly. Sunil wants to leave Anju for Sudha.

Sunil depicts our never ending-unsatisfied desires.

Dayita- she is cute, innocent, and bubbly. Daughter of Sudha. Sudha tells her stories, plays with her and wishes a bright future for her but at the same time feels she is a thorn in her life,jailed with responsibilities.

4.Dayita depicts our innocent childhood. You would adore Dayita.

5.Old man- Not an important character but it reminds us that one day we would face this.
Death and Old age. Youth would not remain with us forever.
Vine of Desire as the name tells you…it’s the desire we seek and it’s the desire that destroys or flourishes us.

USP....

1. she has this habit of asking riddles and jokes which draws a semi-curve on your face.

Whats the difference between a soilder and a wife?
Answer- the soilder faces the powder and the wife applies powder on the face. things like that.

2. She writes a lot of conversational Letters which is absorbing and entertaining.

3. Each character narrates his/her own story. you feel like you are listeining to a close friend.

4. Pishi, sudha's grandma lends her annecdotes,remedies and past experiences which wants you to meet pishi-the woman making Til laddos and advising you to drink Ginger tea for a bad cold. That kind of woman.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


I rate this Book as
****/10.

Refreshing and Entertaining! A Must Read for all bookworms and not-so ones.

Brown Sparrow with a Golden Heart-A Story

Susha uneasily seated herself next to a girl in her early twenties and a woman with a toddler in her early thirties, she herself being one less than twenty.
Her nostrils filled with mixed aroma of sandwiches which the child now was gobbling hurriedly and stink of strong Shikakai shampoo from her swing partner seated next to her.
The girl being the caretaker of one of the children basking their skins in the late evening sun, playing carelessly without worrying for their unseen future which would be probably filled with work,money,responsibilities, and lots of complications like us adults. The girl was talking in some gibberish language on Reliance cdma phone which offered free unlimited calls along with a hearing-aid problem.
Susha being a psychology student took keen interests in children as they were the most natural beings on earth with no frills attached.
Her attention now turned to those “mod-moms” and “maternal ammas”, “techie and not-so techie daddies”.
She mentally divided them into 6 groups.
One. Plush-office executive mommy dah-lings guiding their maids to play with their children all the while chatting with their hubbies (or boss or lovers maybe)
Two. Serene, relaxed filthy rich housewives fussing over her child (hum do humara ek) afraid he might hurt himself even while he just sneezed!
Three. Maharashtrian and Gujju aai and mummy reciting “Johnny Johnny yes pappa” and “One two Buckle my shoe” again and again till the child threatened to howl and make a free show for the onlookers.
Four. Burkha clad women discussing their household problems and daily sobby-soaps aired on the Indian television, leaving their children orphan like.
Five. Sweet looking aunties with a huge physical profile, jutting sagged their assets showing their growing age and obesity.
Six. Lastly those Maa’s who always scold their child, mock at them whatever may be the circumstances. Later the child turns into a truant or something like that.
Sucha sighed and turned her attention to the nest on that big banyan tree. Hanging Gardens is filled with variety of trees attracting beautiful-feathered birds. Sucha liked listening to koels and sparrows. She paused for a while. Looking at the nest.
She wished. Parents would be more like that sparrow, loving her child unconditionally.
Letting it spread its wings without preaching and threatening its liberty.
She quickly remembered something and smiled.
“Your children are not your children. They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself. They came through you but not from you and though they are with you yet they belong not to you.”
As quoted by Khalil Gibran
And then and there in that much rusted garden bench she decided something.
Shusha would have lots of kids (maybe not more than two as she feared Indian Population outburst) and let them spread their wings wide like that sparrow in the nest.