The Palace of Illusions by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I can never thank Mrs. Bindu Sharma (undoubtedly the best English teacher I've ever had) enough for recommending this to me.
Unlike others in my family, I grew up on Mahabharata but never before did I see it from the eyes of the most important female character. Using Draupadi as her mouth-piece, Divakaruni paints the beautiful and yet burning portrait of the lives of countless women who lived in the Epic Age. Being a student of History, with 'Position of Women in Ancient India' as a part of my syllabus, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and took notice of so many details that had skipped my observation earlier.
It is beautifully well-written with a careful blend of sense and sarcasm, remarkable wit and extensive knowledge. The author knew exactly what she was doing and what she wanted to do with the plot. Her recipe of mixing fact with fiction has not failed to bring about the desired effect. With the efficacy of a good baker, she has created a sumptuous cake of the story of Mahabharata, using her imagination and information as the key ingredients.
However, despite the well-presented and beautifully served story, Divakaruni makes one big blunder most restaurateurs make. She assumes that the reader, like her, has grown up on Mahabharata and the legends associated with it. For people who know it at the back of their hand, the novel is like a familiar dish in a new tray with a dash of some rare herbs. However, to people who are not so familiar with Mahabharata, it may be totally unpalatable and may cause some serious digestion problems! To read this book, the reader must have, if not the complete knowledge of the epic, the knowledge of the sequence of its events and the way in which they unfold.
Overall, it is a fast paced read that anyone who admires history with a little bit of wit and a pinch of salt, will admire.


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