Title: Before We Visit the Goddess
Author: Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
ISBN:
9781471146930
Genre: Literary Fiction, Relationship
Pages: 210
Source: Flipkart Review Program
Rating: 5/5
Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni is
that kind of author who has potential to make you fall in love with
her work, since first few lines. When I started reading “Before We Visit the Goddess” I
closed the book as well as eyes at once, to sense just that startled feeling. I
was dying to say this “Dear Chitra Ma’am, you weave love, depth, tenderness into your intriguing stories, What a Beautiful Work,
actually Gorgeous”
Basically, the story of “Before We
Visit Goddess” is all about mother daughter relationship, three generations
take you along on the journey of love and longing, desires, process of
understanding each other. Major characters are Sabitri, Bela, and Tara.
Sabitri, the grandmother lives in India
and trying to connect with her granddaughter (Tara) while sharing a letter about
her experiences of life.
Bela, Sabitri’s daughter— while I was
reading about her childhood, I was like, how author worked on her every emotion
with such sensitivity, when it is the most difficult task to write about the
perspective of a kid. Applauses!
Tara, Sabitri’s Granddaughter, rebellious
in nature, lives far away from her roots, had not met even once to Sabitri. The way
author displayed cultural differences, loosening of bonds, and the sense of independence,
the struggle that exists in the eyes of women only, are commendable. Overall, it
is an unforgettable tale.
"What is more painful, the misplaced past or the running
future? "
NARRATION:
It is rare when someone write such
complex emotions, intermingled relations with such delicacy. Not a single word
out of place. The story moves with perspectives of every character, and that’s
make it unique, though author trying to play with time and I liked the way,
this freshness into storytelling. Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni Truly an artist
with unique voice, she knows the beauty of unsaid words, the silence and that mesmerized
me.
And I think I should stop now, How
could I put this breathing tale into a short review. Highly Recommended, Man!
Read it now.
READER’s MOMENT
Granddaughter, when you are poor and ill-educated, how
unequipped you are to read the world. All you know is your place in it: down
near the bottom. You believe you are meant for better things, but how will you
ever climb out to get them? The first opportunity that appears, you grasp at it
to pull yourself up. You don't check to see if it can bear your weight.
I want to add something about how I feel now, not better
exactly but less alone. But words would spoil it.
People get addicted to love or just to having someone
around.
Maybe now that her own end flickers like a shadow in
the corner of her eye, my mother will be ready to tell me more about my
grandmother.
One thing leads to another, and then another, just like
you’d planned. But suddenly a domino gets skewed, events change direction,
people dig in their heels, and you’re faced with a situation that you didn’t
see coming, you who thought you were so clever.
ABOUT AUTHOR:
Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni is an
award-winning author and poet. Her themes include the Indian experience,
contemporary America, women, immigration, history, myth, and the joys and
challenges of living in a multicultural world. Her work is widely known, as she
has been published in over 50 magazines, including the Atlantic Monthly and The
New Yorker, and her writing has been included in over 50 anthologies. Her works
have been translated into 29 languages.
Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni is the
author of sixteen books, including Oleander Girl, The Mistress of Spices,
Sister of My Heart, Palace of Illusions, and One Amazing Thing. Her work has
appeared in The New Yorker, The Atlantic Monthly, and The New York Times, and
has won, among other prizes, an American Book Award. Born in India, she
currently lives in Texas and is the McDavid professor of Creative Writing at
the University of Houston.
