Our October CC Book Club Selection is Independence by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni. Set in a rural village during the partition of British India in 1947, Independence tells the stories of three sisters—Priya, Deepa and Jamini—who are caught up in the dramatic and devastating events surrounding the decolonization of India. Each woman finds herself on a different path during the political and religious upheaval, struggling to stay loyal to family, while navigating the dangers of a conflict-torn country.
“The title Independence refers not only to the Indian freedom struggle but to women’s struggle for freedom. Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni has written a powerful novel that will resonate across cultures. Three Sisters, with its Chekhovian echo, would be a good title as well.” — New York Journal of Books
“For those of us who read to escape the banalities of daily life, Chitra Divakaruni’s books are oxygen. She writes about India in a way that makes the rest of the world disappear around you.” — Chicago Tribune
Pulling up the thread again as a reminder to anyone interested that the discussion starts on Oct. 1. I’ve found it interesting with its exposure to a history with which I’m unfamiliar.
I think this is the second book I’ve read set in this time period. I found it a little slow at first, but I’m getting into it now. Should be a good discussion. Once again, I’ll be out of town, but at least should have internet!
I’m almost done with my second reading. (I read it before and suggested it to the group.) I’m frustrated that I don’t know anything about the history and events she references. Once I finish it again, I’ll need to do a lot of googling.
This is my first time joining this book club. I am looking forward to the discussion about this novel. I am originally from that area of the world and remember hearing stories from my grandmother and father about this difficult time in history.
I am on the other side of the world and have been here for a couple of months now due to a family emergency. My library doesn’t have the book as an e-book and I have no other way to get the paper copy of the book where I am.
I’ve missed the last few books due to various reasons so I’m really hoping to move up from lurker to participating reader before the December book!
It’s October 1st! Welcome to our discussion of Independence by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni. I wasn’t sure if I’d like this novel when I started, but it sucked me in and swept me along. I stayed up late to finish — Divakaruni did a great job of creating suspense during the rescue of Deepa.
As I was reading the book, I kept thinking that it didn’t read like a “regular” novel, but more like a fairy tale or folk tale. Passages like this, for example, have that flavor:
He said, Release me from my promise. She said, I will not, I cannot, it is my life-breath you are asking for. But you can break the promise yourself, I will not stop you. He said, You know I cannot do that. It is entwined with that other, older promise, the one I made to your dying father. But I know this: If you hold me to the word I gave before I knew myself, I will marry you but hate you always. She said, I will take that chance. (p. 218)
Then after I was finished with the book, I read an interview with the author. She said, "What I had in mind were the Bengali folktales I’d read. Many of them have three sisters and each one is very different from the other and wants a different thing….The number three complicates matters. This is why even in the folktales, it is always three.”
Below are discussion questions, if interested. If not, disregard!
(@AnAsmom, I hope all is well and that your family emergency is resolved soon.)
Discuss the use of the word ‘independence’ and how it ties into the themes of the story.
None of the three sisters, Deepa, Jamini, and Priya, are perfect. What characteristics in each sister did you admire? What may have disappointed you about each of the sisters? Did you have a favorite?
Did you think each sister behaved the right—or wrong—way when they were faced with adversity? Did your opinion of each sister change as you read the novel?
What was the most unexpected part of the story for you?
History has traditionally concentrated by the actions of men, however, this is a story from the viewpoint of the women. Did the novel change your viewpoint about the role of women in India during the timeframe of this novel?
Were you surprised by the level of violence during this historic period? Did Divakaruni weave this into the story in a believable way?
Were you aware of the animosity between Hindus and Muslims that continues to the present day? Has any progress been made?
Did you feel understanding or were you dismayed by the decisions Bina makes with regard to the choices each of her daughters make?
What did you think of the male characters in the novel? Who was the strongest? The wisest? Did any of them disappoint you?
I enjoyed this book much more than I expected and I felt like I learned a lot about that piece of history. I was aware of some of it, especially the tension between Hindu and Muslim, but not to this extent.
I also felt like it ready like folk lore so it’s really interesting to hear the was the intention. I could picture the sisters telling the story orally to the next generation after meal time.
I have to say that in the beginning, I was much more invested in Priya but the other sisters grew on me. I thought the author did a wonderful job of portraying each sister very realistically in terms of faults and strengths. But I will admit to wanting to shake Priya for leaving medical school in the US.
The only character that I really, really struggled with was the mother.
I did not care for Bina one bit. She did rise to the occasion once, when she went after Jamini’s attacker, but otherwise she came across as a weepy, unsupportive wife and an implacable, unforgiving mother. All three daughters were devoted to her, to their credit.
@AnAsmom : The book is on Kindle. Can you get it that way??
I’m the one who recommended this book, since I enjoyed the story about the three sisters (although I had some issues with each of them) but I knew hardly anything about the history of this period in India.
Regarding the sisters:
I really wanted Priya to stay in the US and marry the nice professor (what was his name??). She was starting to get comfortable, was doing well in her classes, and had a pretty straight route to getting the degree she wanted. I don’t think it was necessary for her to return home (but then the story would have been so much shorter!).
Regarding Deepa: I am by no means a romantic, it appears, since I just didn’t understand her infatuation with Raza. He seemed like a nice enough fellow, but given all that Deepa had to give up because she loved him, I don’t think she made the right choice. There were so many points when she could have decided that the cost of her being with Raza was just too much, but she never did. Regardless, I loved to see how she matured during the book, from being a gold-digging opportunist to being someone who genuinely cared for her mother, her sisters and her child.
I feel like I understood Jamini best of all. She never felt loved; nevertheless she kept trying so damn hard. Some of her actions were mean but I forgave her, because she felt neglected and “less than.” I don’t understand why Amit agreed to marry her. I understand he did it to save her family, but really – to be chained for a lifetime to someone you don’t love??
Does anyone have a nice, simple description of the events at that time? I’ve googled, but all I’ve found are very detailed histories. I need something briefer.
@VeryHappy I was talking to my DIL about the history of this time period as colonial Asia has been the focus of her dissertation. She got me a book, but it was way too detailed for my patience! I think what happened can best be summarized by long simmering inequities and resentments came to a boil and half the country went crazy. Sound familiar?
That’s very interesting about the idea of deliberately using a Bengali trope. I felt like I’d read this story before, though usually involving sons, and at first that bothered me. I also just despise books written in the present tense, but I do think that added to the somewhat poetic (not natural) aspect.
Very soon I got swept up in everyone’s lives and the three women seemed less like symbols and more like real people. The most unexpected part of the story for me was that Amit never came to love Jamini. I always figured that eventually Amit and Priya would figure out that they weren’t that good a fit.