Independence by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

THREE SISTERS. THEIR UNBREAKABLE BOND. AND A NATION ABOUT TO BE BORN.

Here is a river...

Here is a village...

Here is a grand old mansion...

Here is the country that contains them all...

India. August, 1946. Everything is about to change.

Priya, Jamini and Deepa, Dr Nabakumar Ganguly's daughters, live in Ranipur, Bengal, safe from the rising turbulence in the country. When their father is killed on Direct Action Day, their world turns upside-down.

Priya, the youngest, intelligent and idealistic, is determined to follow in her father's footsteps and become a doctor, no matter how difficult. She is fortunate to have the support of zamindar Somnath Chowdhury, her father's best friend. Jamini, devout, dutiful and talented, helps her mother stitch kanthas to make ends meet. Hungering for affection even as she is resentful of her sisters, she nurses a secret desire. Beautiful Deepa, the eldest, all set to marry well, falls in love with Raza, Youth Leader at the Muslim League, and must face the consequences.

When India is partitioned, the sisters find themselves separated from one another, afraid of what will happen to not only themselves, but also each other. It is only then that they understand what it means to be independent, and the price one has to pay for it.

Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni's powerful new novel is a moving story of loyalty and love, nationhood and sisterhood, set against India's independence movement, at once exhilarating and devastating.

Three sisters share an unbreakable bond as they navigate life in 1946 India, on the brink of independence and facing tumultuous changes. When their father is killed, the sisters must find their own paths amidst the chaos. With the support of their father's best friend, Priya follows her dream of becoming a doctor despite the challenges. Jamini helps support her family while longing for love, and Deepa must make difficult choices when she falls for a Muslim leader amidst the partition of India. As the sisters are separated, they come to understand the true meaning of independence and the sacrifices it demands. This powerful novel by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni explores the complexities of loyalty, love, and sisterhood during India's independence movement.