Sister Of My Heart

by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

I loved this book. I would read a little, then put it down and spend a lot of time thinking about what I had read. Then I would smile to myself and pick it up again and read a little more. It really was a beautiful story of love, friendship and family, and it was beautifully told.

The story is told through the eyes of two girls, cousins who were born on the same day. Sudha and Anju were both born prematurely the day both their father's lives were ended. Living in the same household, the girls were raised together and grew to love each other as sisters. We spend the first few chapters of the book getting to know these two girls, and the three mothers who raised them. As they grow, we discover that Sudha is a rare beauty, the girl who's face will enchant any man, while Anju, is rather plain looking. While this matters not to the two girls, we are soon to learn that their eternal happiness could be destroyed by this fact.

This story is wonderful. As each chapter unfolds we get yet another glimpse into life in India, and what it would be like to be part of an arranged marriage. Each section is even more beautiful than the one before, and we find that in the end, love triumphs over all.

I highly recommend this book, and I will be looking for more by this author. Such a beautiful manner of storytelling cannot be unique to just one novel. I dare you to read this book and not be enchanted and swept away.