Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni - The Palace of Illusions

About this episode

Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni discusses her novel The Palace of Illusions, exploring themes of women's voices, love, and destiny within the context of the Mahabharat.

Harriett Gilbert welcomes bestselling author Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni into the World Book Club studio to discuss her internationally acclaimed novel, The Palace of Illusions. A luminous reimagining of the ancient Indian epic, the Mahabharat, The Palace of Illusions traces the life of Princess Panchaali—better known as Draupadi—from her miraculous birth in fire to her destiny as the wife of five brothers cheated of their father’s kingdom. Swept into their quest to reclaim their birthright, Panchaali stands beside them through years of exile and the terrible civil war that engulfs the kings of India. Along the way, she navigates fierce rivalries, a complex friendship with the enigmatic Krishna, and a forbidden attraction to her husbands’ most dangerous enemy. With its vivid imagery, lyrical prose and unforgettable characters, Divakaruni’s novel brings to life a world of warriors, gods, and fate, seen through the eyes of a fiery woman determined to shape her own destiny. Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni answers readers’ questions about reclaiming women’s voices from myth and legend, the different kinds of love - marital, forbidden and divine, and how mythology can be used to re-write…

People in this episode

Host: Harriett Gilbert

Guest: Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

Topics covered

• women's voices in mythology
• love and relationships
• reimagining epics
• Indian culture
• feminism in literature
• destiny and fate

Keywords

• Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
• The Palace of Illusions
• Mahabharat
• Draupadi
• women's voices
• Indian epic
• love
• fate
• mythology

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: The Palace of Illusions, Mahabharat

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