The Vine of Desire  (English, Paperback, Divakaruni Chitra Banerjee)

The Vine Of Desire narrates the tale of two cousins, Sudha and Anju, whose friendship is put to test when Anju’s husband is infatuated with Sudha.

Summary Of The Book

The Vine of Desire revolves around Anju and Sudha, who were first introduced in Chitra Banerjee’s earlier novel Sister of My Heart. Anju and Sudha are cousins and best friends from Calcutta. After their marriages, Anju moves with her husband, Sunil, to San Francisco, and Sudha remains in India. In the years that follow, Sudha and Anju lead their own lives, but their personal tragedies reunite them in the United States.

These tragedies that bring them together are the miscarriage that Anu has to face and the divorce that changes Sudha’s life forever. Anju invites Sudha and her newborn daughter, Dayita, to move in with them in the United States. In the beginning, the two friends are happy about their reunion, but things get complicated when Sunil becomes infatuated with Sudha. Sunil's attraction and obsession with Sudha causes a rift between the two cousins.

Anju is torn between her affection for Sudha and her suspicions about Sunil. Sudha tries to avoid Sunil and befriends Lalit. Inspite of her efforts, the situation doesn't improve. Stuck in an awkward and complicated mess, Sudha decides to leave their house and make it on her own. She is employed as a maid in the house of Mr. Sen, an old man suffering from ill health.

Will Sudha and Anju be able to reconcile their differences? Is Sunil to be blamed for the rift between two good friends? The Vine of Desire forces the reader to ponder over the complex subjects of marriage, friendship, adultery and divorce.

The novel was published in the year 2002.

About Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni is an Indian-American poet, novelist, and professor.

Her other novels include Arranged Marriage, The Mistress of Spices, The Unknown Errors Of Our Lives, Queen Of Dreams, The Palace Of Illusions, Black Candle, Multitude: Cross Cultural Readings For Writers and We Too Sing America.

Divakaruni's writing spans across different genres such as realistic and historical fiction, fantasy, and magical realism. Many of her works focus on the experiences of the South Asian immigrants and the bitter realities of women’s lives.

Born in the Indian city of Calcutta, Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni completed her BA from the University of Calcutta. She completed her Master’s from Wright State University and her Ph.D. from the University of California. Divakaruni is the former President and co-founder of Maitri and is also associated with the literacy program, Pratham. She is currently a professor of the Creative Writing Program at the University of Houston. Her works have been translated into over 20 languages. She has been presented with numerous awards like the Alumna of the Year Award by the University of California, the Pushcart Prize, the Cultural Jewel Award, the Allen Ginsberg Poetry Prize, and the Distinguished Writer Award. She resides with her husband Murthy and their two children in Houston.