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The Palace of Illusions

The Palace of Illusions

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Add This - The Palace of Illusions

Written by Chitra Banerjee DivakaruniAuthor Alerts: Random House will alert you to new works by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

  • Format: Hardcover, 384 pages
    •  
  • Publisher: Doubleday
  • On Sale: February 12, 2008
  • Price: $23.95
  • ISBN: 978-0-385-51599-3 (0-385-51599-5)
Also available as an eBook and a trade paperback.
about this book

A reimagining of the world-famous Indian epic, the Mahabharat.

Relevant to today’s war-torn world, The Palace of Illusions takes us back to a time that is half history, half myth, and wholly magical. Narrated by Panchaali, the wife of the legendary Pandavas brothers in the Mahabharat, the novel gives us a new interpretation of this ancient tale.

The novel traces the princess Panchaali's life, beginning with her birth in fire and following her spirited balancing act as a woman with five husbands who have been cheated out of their father’s kingdom. Panchaali is swept into their quest to reclaim their birthright, remaining at their side through years of exile and a terrible civil war involving all the important kings of India. Meanwhile, we never lose sight of her strategic duels with her mother-in-law, her complicated friendship with the enigmatic Krishna, or her secret attraction to the mysterious man who is her husbands' most dangerous enemy. Panchaali is a fiery female redefining for us a world of warriors, gods, and the ever-manipulating hands of fate.

Praise for The Palace of Illusions....

“Divakaruni’s historic and transporting variation adds new and truly revelatory psychological and social dimensions to the great epic’s indelible story of sacrifice and spiritual awakening.  Divakaruni has triumphantly fulfilled a profound mission.”"
—Booklist
 
“Vivid and inventive. . . . rich, action-filled. . . complex."
—Publishers Weekly
 
"An intimate, feminine portrait that is both contemporary and timeless;  a ambitious project effectively executed.”
—Kirkus Reviews
 
“A lyrical tale imbued with the scent of ancient incense yet . . .  rooted in modern day relevancy.”
—Book Page
 
“Divakaruni has taken a male centered story and breathed new life into its female characters, giving us a rich tale of passion and love, power and weakness, honor and humiliation. Entertaining, insightful and suspenseful.”
—Library Journal, starred review