Historical Fiction

Independence

Independence

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  • Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date：2023-04-01 06:51:30
  • Update Date：2025-09-07
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
  • ISBN：0063142384
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Summary

India， 1947。 In a rural village in Bengal live three sisters， daughters of a well-respected doctor。

Priya: intelligent and idealistic， resolved to follow in her father's footsteps and become a doctor， though society frowns on it。

Deepa: the beauty， determined to make a marriage that will bring her family joy and status。

Jamini: devout， sharp-eyed， and a talented quiltmaker， with deeper passions than she reveals。

Theirs is a home of love and safety， a refuge from the violent events taking shape in the nation。 Then their father is killed during a riot， and even their neighbors turn against them， bringing the events of their country closer to home。

As Priya determinedly pursues her career goal， Deepa falls deeply in love with a Muslim， causing her to break with her family。 And Jamini attempts to hold her family together， even as she secretly longs for her sister's fiancé。

When the partition of India is officially decided， a drastic--and dangerous--change is in the air。 India is now for Hindus， Pakistan for Muslims。 The sisters find themselves separated from one another， each on different paths。 They fear for what will happen to not just themselves， but each other。

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Reviews

P。Nagendra Kumar ，

My first book by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni。 Beautiful and a powerful tale of three sisters， love， loyalty and nationhood。 The narrative is really absorbing。 The best part is the way each chapter is presented。 'Here is a river， here is a village。。。。" Wonderful way of presenting the story。 Tagore's poetry， the historical information about the country at the time of independence make the reading much more interesting。 Reading the book is a wonderful experience indeed。 Looking forward to reading he My first book by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni。 Beautiful and a powerful tale of three sisters， love， loyalty and nationhood。 The narrative is really absorbing。 The best part is the way each chapter is presented。 'Here is a river， here is a village。。。。" Wonderful way of presenting the story。 Tagore's poetry， the historical information about the country at the time of independence make the reading much more interesting。 Reading the book is a wonderful experience indeed。 Looking forward to reading her other books as well。 。。。more

Jim Dobbson ，

DNF; not my first Indian novel but I couldn't finish because no connect with any of t he characters。 Too dead（pan） for me。 DNF; not my first Indian novel but I couldn't finish because no connect with any of t he characters。 Too dead（pan） for me。 。。。more

Devashree ，

The 3 sisters have below average character development。 I bought the kindle version with such high hopes， thanks to the palace of illusion， my excitement plummeted as I dragged my way in finishing the book！ It was so disheartening。It felt like sisters were riding high on impulses。 And their life curves felt unrealistic and were not relatable。 Also the mother Bina！ What a depressing character。 It felt like her husband did die along with it took her soul as well and left the living carcass behind。 The 3 sisters have below average character development。 I bought the kindle version with such high hopes， thanks to the palace of illusion， my excitement plummeted as I dragged my way in finishing the book！ It was so disheartening。It felt like sisters were riding high on impulses。 And their life curves felt unrealistic and were not relatable。 Also the mother Bina！ What a depressing character。 It felt like her husband did die along with it took her soul as well and left the living carcass behind。One may not agree with all my opinions but I was rooting for this one。 Nonetheless I did feel the essence of Bengal during the time of partition。 So that's one thing to count upon！ 😅 。。。more

Simarbir Kaur ，

Moving， Heartbreaking and gut wrenching saga of 3 sisters and their struggle to fulfill their dreams and survive through the tumultuous time of Partition of India。 Partition- The bittersweet cost that the country had to pay for the Independence。 This is a story set in the backdrop of the time when India was about to get independence from British rule。 Parallel to the the sweet victory of Indian independence， is the heart breaking and sour side of Partition。 In the author's own words， the country Moving， Heartbreaking and gut wrenching saga of 3 sisters and their struggle to fulfill their dreams and survive through the tumultuous time of Partition of India。 Partition- The bittersweet cost that the country had to pay for the Independence。 This is a story set in the backdrop of the time when India was about to get independence from British rule。 Parallel to the the sweet victory of Indian independence， is the heart breaking and sour side of Partition。 In the author's own words， the country was being divided as one cuts the cake。 Millions of families， were uprooted from their homes， and countless men， women and children lost their lives due to riots caused by the religious uproar。 Plot:The story begins in the year 1946， when on one side ， the country is ready to celebrate the Independence， but on the other side， there is a tense air around everyone due to the news of partition。 Three sisters in a rural village in Bengal， Deepa， the eldest， who is beautiful， sharp featured and is ready to get married to bring her family joy and the status。 Priya - who is determined to become a doctor just like her father and Jamini who is a talented quiltmaker like her mom and is bound to her family and keeping it together。 The story starts with this heart breaking tragedy when the girls lose their father amidst the riots in Calcutta。 Their life is shattered and their widowed mother is worried about the future of their family。 The story takes another drastic turn as Deepa， falls in love with a Muslim boy and is disengaged from the family ， stirring the peace and breaking the family apart。 Amidst of this tense air， Priya's mind is determined to pursue her dream of getting into a medical college。 Jamini， tries to keep the family together while supporting her widowed mother。 The story then progresses as the tensions rise in the country ， while the sisters find their way to survive and follow their dreams on different paths。 This is my first book by this author。 The writing style of the author is a little different， which took some time for the me to get used to， but when it started growing on me， the book became unputdownable。 The best part about her fast paced writing is， that it does not compromise with the emotional depth of the events。 The powerful prose by Chitra Banerjee is captivating to a great degree and is highly effective in creating an intense impact on the readers which is essential in books of this genre。 I liked this book。 This book was filled with emotional and devastating events that made me cry。 It is a tragic， upsetting yet inspiring story of sisterhood， sacrifices， love， family and Hope。 The brilliant portrayal of sisterhood is remarkably done by the author。 And through the story of Priya， the author has given an excellent example of strong headed women ， who follow their passion and pursue their dreams bravely 。 Despite the nerve wrecking tensions， she is ready to fight with anyone and sacrifice anything for her goals。 Few things that fell short for me: I think the book lacked a lil in character development。 I believe the characterization of the sisters was optimally done， but there were some characters that I wish could be explored a little bit more。 Like Mrs。 Avery who plays an important role in Priya's story， Bina their mother， Raza， and the professor in US。 I wish these supporting characters could be given some space to grow as I was getting a bit attached to them。 Overall， I liked this book AND I would recommend this book to anyone who loves to read stories historical fiction with strong and powerful female characters。 。。。more

Nisha ，

I usually love her books but this fell so flat for me at times！

Sanjeeta Saha ，

Rating: 4。5/5Divakaruni weaves magic again！Imagine Little Women but set in a India transitioning from colonialism to independence， peppered with legendary Bengali music and highlighting the communalism that the British left us with as a parting gift。 It is also a story of sisterhood， of ambition chosen over love， chasing dreams and immense loss。 It is a story that will make you weep， feel proud and celebrate the bravery of our ancestors。I couldn’t put this book down。 You shouldn’t either。

Pat ，

This was a very enjoyable read with well-developed characters。 The plot was interesting together with the uprising in India as the backdrop to the individual challenges for Deepa， Jamini and Priya。 I recommend this novel as a book club selection， an excellent book choice。

Erin ，

High three stars。 I enjoyed learning about this period of time in India’s history and the interplay between the three sisters and their struggles。 But I think my dislike of one of the sisters kept this from being four stars。 I just didn’t find much redeeming in her so her arc was unsatisfying。 But， overall， a good read。

Barbara ，

3+The year 1947 is an important date in India’s history。 It is when Britain granted India its Independence， seemingly， a wonderful event。 Although many leaders， such as Gandhi and Nehru， wanted a united India， Muslim leaders feared rule by the Hindu majority。 Partition appeared to be the solution。 And so， the country of Pakistan was formed。 This is the background of Divakaruni’s novel。 However， independence is almost always a struggle。 This cataclysmic struggle resulted in the death of an estima 3+The year 1947 is an important date in India’s history。 It is when Britain granted India its Independence， seemingly， a wonderful event。 Although many leaders， such as Gandhi and Nehru， wanted a united India， Muslim leaders feared rule by the Hindu majority。 Partition appeared to be the solution。 And so， the country of Pakistan was formed。 This is the background of Divakaruni’s novel。 However， independence is almost always a struggle。 This cataclysmic struggle resulted in the death of an estimated two million people and the displacement of another fourteen million。Sisters Deepa， Priya， and Jamini lived with their family in a quiet village near Bengal。 Each young woman had a dream for her future。 Jamini would be happy to fulfill the role of a traditional Bengali woman; her two sisters desired more independence。 But violence developed as far-right and far-left Muslim and Hindu groups clashed。 Neighbors who had coexisted suddenly were enemies， forced to take a side。 Dreams could not be pursued。 The violence， death， and disruption of life were unimaginable。 Divakaruni told this story through the alternating voices of the sisters。 Throughout the unraveling of dreams and the death of loved ones， their strength and family bond prevailed。I learned so much about this time period in India’s history and it encouraged me to delve deeper - something I love doing。 However， I never felt emotionally involved with the characters。 Each girl seemed like a stereotype。 The writing， especially in the first half， was overly simplistic and choppy。 I don’t usually do audio books， but this novel is probably enhanced by hearing the voices of the characters。 I definitely will read this author again。 While I do have some criticisms， I am very glad I read it and learned so much about India’s independence and its horrific aftermath。 。。。more

Francine ，

This is a story about a family set in Bengal/India during the time of struggle for Independence。 It was hard to put down， it was that compelling。The story is about parents with 3 daughters。 There is love， tragedy， struggle and sacrifice。 It is also about family both actual and found。 It is a wonderful story that can be appreciated on so many levels。Highly recommended，

Nimmo Bhagat ，

Another beautiful story told brilliantly by Chitra！ Thoroughly enjoyed reading about the lives of her main characters woven intricately with India’s story at the sunset of colonial rule and dawn of independence。 Her description of the country’s partition and the ensuing tragic riots are vivid as well as subtle。 She gives a very authentic cultural context of the region the story is set in。 Simply loved the book and could not put it down。

Rachel Gdovin ，

This was a beautiful book！ The story follows three sisters living during the time of the Parition of India。 To be honest， I did not start this book with much background knowledge of Partition。 The author provides excellent historical context to follow the events of the novel， but also writes with such lovely， almost lyrical， prose that will draw you into the story。 Highly recommend as a well-written novel as well as a very interesting look at a historical event not frequently covered in American This was a beautiful book！ The story follows three sisters living during the time of the Parition of India。 To be honest， I did not start this book with much background knowledge of Partition。 The author provides excellent historical context to follow the events of the novel， but also writes with such lovely， almost lyrical， prose that will draw you into the story。 Highly recommend as a well-written novel as well as a very interesting look at a historical event not frequently covered in American fiction。 。。。more

Allyson Ignasiak ，

3。75 stars。 I am a fan of historical fiction and it was interesting to learn about the complications of independence from the British and the eventual division of India。 For the most part， I was entertained by the 3 sisters in this book， but also found them frustrating and unrealistic at times。 Despite the characters having highly irrational thoughts and making questionable decisions （i。e。， jamini loving a man that would never love her and resenting everyone for it， deepa giving up her life to m 3。75 stars。 I am a fan of historical fiction and it was interesting to learn about the complications of independence from the British and the eventual division of India。 For the most part， I was entertained by the 3 sisters in this book， but also found them frustrating and unrealistic at times。 Despite the characters having highly irrational thoughts and making questionable decisions （i。e。， jamini loving a man that would never love her and resenting everyone for it， deepa giving up her life to marry a Muslim， and priya being selfish toward 2 men that loved her）， I also think that in a way it reflects how people in general do not always do or feel things practically。 The writing of this book was a little suspect at times。 When a big plot line occurred， I felt like I missed what happened because it was written in an abrupt way。 Overall this was an easy read and I enjoyed。 。。。more

Hannah Sunseri ，

This story started out great。 I loved reading about the unrest in India and the war about to ensue。 By the middle of the book， I started to realize these sisters characters were so dry。 None of them stood out to me where I truly felt like I was reading about the same person just different chapters。 The writing is beautiful， but adding absolutely no personality to what one would think would be strong female characters was so mind numbing。 I even skipped a few chapters due to straight boredom and This story started out great。 I loved reading about the unrest in India and the war about to ensue。 By the middle of the book， I started to realize these sisters characters were so dry。 None of them stood out to me where I truly felt like I was reading about the same person just different chapters。 The writing is beautiful， but adding absolutely no personality to what one would think would be strong female characters was so mind numbing。 I even skipped a few chapters due to straight boredom and I felt like I picked up right where I left off before skipping。 。。。more

Rouna Mohran ，

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 （Spoilers at the end） Powerful， I was unfamiliar with the more recent history of India and loved the way it was represented through the lives of the sisters。 Their individual tales were well crafted and interwoven。 However I found myself wanting more development for them。（Spoilers below:）My main reason for giving it 4 stars was that I did not agree with Amit’s deaths。 I understand the message she was trying to portray with it but instead it took from the resolution needed between Priya and Jamin （Spoilers at the end） Powerful， I was unfamiliar with the more recent history of India and loved the way it was represented through the lives of the sisters。 Their individual tales were well crafted and interwoven。 However I found myself wanting more development for them。（Spoilers below:）My main reason for giving it 4 stars was that I did not agree with Amit’s deaths。 I understand the message she was trying to portray with it but instead it took from the resolution needed between Priya and Jamini。 If anything， I really think the book would have benefited if Jamini got her wish and sacrificed herself， though it would have been the more cliche option 。。。more

Kenzie | kenzienoelle。reads ，

4。5 stars。 *I love a sibling story and this was a fantastic one。 The story centers on three sisters， Priya， Jamini and Deepa in English colonized India。 The reader follows each sister’s journey as we watch the deep unrest between Muslim and Hindi eventually leading to the partition of India。 *I loved this book so much。 I’ve mentioned it before， but one of the signs of a great historical fiction to me， is one that prompts me to go learn more about the place and the time outside of the book。 In th 4。5 stars。 *I love a sibling story and this was a fantastic one。 The story centers on three sisters， Priya， Jamini and Deepa in English colonized India。 The reader follows each sister’s journey as we watch the deep unrest between Muslim and Hindi eventually leading to the partition of India。 *I loved this book so much。 I’ve mentioned it before， but one of the signs of a great historical fiction to me， is one that prompts me to go learn more about the place and the time outside of the book。 In this case， 1940s and 50s India going from English colonization to the forming of India and Pakistan。*Each sister had such a unique personality， and there were parts of each girl and each story that you couldn’t help but relate to， fall in love with and hurt for。 I read this in a day （it’s under 300 pages） and I hope so many more will pick this one up！！ 。。。more

AmyReadsAll ，

Interesting story。 But was a little bored with how every person seemed to blame themselves for everything。

Inkedinpages ，

What did you think of the novel overall？This is a heartbreaking novel filled with historical accuracv。Independence follows three sisters during the partition of India in the 1940s。 It was written in a way that was easy to take in despite the incredibly heavy subject matter。 I found myself invested in each characters story as I read。 Overall， I think this a book that all historical fiction fans should read。Was there anything challenging about the novel？ Surprising？ This is a book that is not for What did you think of the novel overall？This is a heartbreaking novel filled with historical accuracv。Independence follows three sisters during the partition of India in the 1940s。 It was written in a way that was easy to take in despite the incredibly heavy subject matter。 I found myself invested in each characters story as I read。 Overall， I think this a book that all historical fiction fans should read。Was there anything challenging about the novel？ Surprising？ This is a book that is not for the faint of heart and definitely not for someone looking for a lighter read。 I struggled with the trauma these women faced throughout the novel and I needed time to process after reading。 I was intrigued by the history of India as I read and learned so much about Demand Action Day， the partition of India and the histor of conflict between Hindu and Muslim people。Was there anything you didn't like？I mean， the ending was absolutely heartbreaking。 So that's a hard pill to swallow。 I did feel like there was A LOT leading up the final event and then it felt like it happened quickly。Who would you recommend it to？All historical fiction lovers。 This is a new （to me） topic to read about and I learned so much while still connecting with the characters and the story！ 。。。more

Tulsi ，

I am SO MAD this book had so much potentialIt needed some more explanation of the historical events。 Everything was glossed over with violent riots being the substitute for explaining all the nuance of India during that time period Literally the significance of Aug 15 or its events weren't even explained？ And then so much tragedy without a corresponding win regarding the independence movement， because it wasn't described！！！！ Furthermore every single male character has no thought process besides I am SO MAD this book had so much potentialIt needed some more explanation of the historical events。 Everything was glossed over with violent riots being the substitute for explaining all the nuance of India during that time period Literally the significance of Aug 15 or its events weren't even explained？ And then so much tragedy without a corresponding win regarding the independence movement， because it wasn't described！！！！ Furthermore every single male character has no thought process besides wanting to "be good" no matter the cost to their own life and other consequences。 Let me go walk into a literal shower of bullets nbd Just endless stream of consciousness narration without due diligence to thoughtful historical fiction storytellingI can't even explain what I feel， much like the author's writing style 3 stars bc it has some substance and I did like the narration style。 Just wish it was seen through and thought out 。。。more

Sharon ，

Excellent book about Indian independence The story follows the lives of three sister at the time of India independence。 Each sister is different with different aspirations。 However， they are a family and fight for each other。 The author writes excellent books。

Rajdip Barman ，

Can't explain in words。 This book is terrific。 I felt good， sad， anxious， and motivated all at the same time。 I totally enjoyed it。 & Chitra Banerjee is now one of my favourite writers， I love her style， her vocab everything is so perfect。 Can't explain in words。 This book is terrific。 I felt good， sad， anxious， and motivated all at the same time。 I totally enjoyed it。 & Chitra Banerjee is now one of my favourite writers， I love her style， her vocab everything is so perfect。 。。。more

Solar ，

jamini >>>>

Ruth ，

The independence of three sisters within the independence of a country。

Dani ，

Quick read and hard to put down。 Enjoyed learning some history of India。 Good story line of 3 sisters。

Phil Atteberry ，

I read this for a book club。 I had never heard of the book or the author。 The setting is India， 1946-48， when India's independence from Britain was established and its partition occurred。 I know little about that。 The novel concerns three sisters with different yearnings and life goals trying to build lives amid this political instability。 The character and place names are Indian， and thus challenging for me because of my unfamiliarity with the language and culture。In spite of all that， I thorou I read this for a book club。 I had never heard of the book or the author。 The setting is India， 1946-48， when India's independence from Britain was established and its partition occurred。 I know little about that。 The novel concerns three sisters with different yearnings and life goals trying to build lives amid this political instability。 The character and place names are Indian， and thus challenging for me because of my unfamiliarity with the language and culture。In spite of all that， I thoroughly enjoyed the book。 The plot is well paced （near the end a real page turner）; the characters and relationships are interesting and complex; the themes are universal。 I am glad I found my way to this one。 。。。more

Cassandra ，

3。5 rounded up。 I really appreciated the cultural and historical details and got so caught up in the story that I didn't want to put it down。 But I feel the characterization was a bit lacking - the three sisters don't seem to grow or develop despite some really selfish and life changing decisions and the central male characters are all too generous， patient and altruistic to feel true。 3。5 rounded up。 I really appreciated the cultural and historical details and got so caught up in the story that I didn't want to put it down。 But I feel the characterization was a bit lacking - the three sisters don't seem to grow or develop despite some really selfish and life changing decisions and the central male characters are all too generous， patient and altruistic to feel true。 。。。more

Carolyn Harris ，

A novel about three sisters living through the independence and partition of India， Pakistan and Bangladesh。 Independence is very atmospheric， capturing the flavour of the times and how it might have felt to be in Kolkata or in a small town during the violence and uncertainty of partition。 There's a reference to people desperately trying to cross the border， even before they know where the border will be。 The events of partition are dramatic enough to propel the plot of the novel but Independenc A novel about three sisters living through the independence and partition of India， Pakistan and Bangladesh。 Independence is very atmospheric， capturing the flavour of the times and how it might have felt to be in Kolkata or in a small town during the violence and uncertainty of partition。 There's a reference to people desperately trying to cross the border， even before they know where the border will be。 The events of partition are dramatic enough to propel the plot of the novel but Independence sometimes focuses too much on personal conflicts that could have taken place during any historical period （for example， two of the sisters are interested in marrying the same man） rather than the unique circumstances of the Indian subcontinent in the late 1940s。 The ending ties up loose ends a little too neatly。 。。。more

Gia ，

All the reviews are honest - THIS BOOK IS UNPUTDOWNABLE！ It's 2:30am as I write this review， compelled to do so because I haven't read a more 5-star deserving book like this in a while。 Such beautiful writing， such great research。 Words that flow together， evoking deep thoughts and emotions。 The way the author pens together this complicated story， never losing sight of the larger story but taking the time needed to explain the smallest details。 I felt transported to another time， another age， an All the reviews are honest - THIS BOOK IS UNPUTDOWNABLE！ It's 2:30am as I write this review， compelled to do so because I haven't read a more 5-star deserving book like this in a while。 Such beautiful writing， such great research。 Words that flow together， evoking deep thoughts and emotions。 The way the author pens together this complicated story， never losing sight of the larger story but taking the time needed to explain the smallest details。 I felt transported to another time， another age， another life and another world。 I can't get over how stunning this book is。 10/10 would recommend this as mandatory reading。 。。。more

Laura ，

3。5 stars。 A good audiobook to listen to versus read。 The book ended perfectly…。。 and then there was an unneeded epilogue。

Elisa Smith ，

Started off slow but picked up toward the end。 A bit predictable and the writing style felt a bit hurried， but overall an enjoyable read。

tpg0 ，

As an AI language model， I do not have personal preferences or emotions， but I can provide you with information about the book 'Independence。' Please let me know if you would like a summary or review of the book。

tpg1 ，

As an AI language model， I do not have personal opinions or preferences， but I can provide some general information about the book 'Independence'。 'Independence' is a novel by the American author Alasdair Gray， originally published in 1994。 The book is set in an alternative Scotland that has gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1969， and follows the lives of several characters living in Glasgow during the late 20th century。 The novel addresses themes related to politics， identity， power， and personal relationships， and features Gray's distinct writing style that blends elements of fantasy， satire， and realism。 Overall， 'Independence' has received mixed reviews， with some praising its ambition and originality， while others have criticized its convoluted structure and uneven pacing。 However， the book remains an important work of Scottish literature and a notable contribution to the genre of alternative history。

tpg2 ，

As an AI language model， I don't have personal preferences or opinions about books。 However， "Independence" can refer to several books， so it would be helpful to know which specific book you mean to provide a more accurate answer。

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Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Independence

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Independence&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Independence&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0