Title : Independence 

Author : Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

Genre : Historical Fiction

Publisher : HarperCollins Publishers India

Set in the backdrop of pre-independence, independence and partition, Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni’s Independence takes us through the horrific partition and its aftermaths.

The story revolves around the lives of Dr. Nabakumar Ganguly’s daughters – Deepa, Jamini and Priya. The days before independence seem to be peaceful  with each one of the sisters trying to live life on their terms. The youngest Priya aims to become a doctor as she loved helping her father in his clinic. Somnath Chowdhary, Dr. Ganguly’s friend encourages her to pursue her dream. Deepa, she falls in love with Raza, another family friend and Jamini likes Amit, Somnath’s son. Life goes on smoothly till the city of Calcutta is hit by the Hindu-Muslim riots. The family is affected badly as Dr. Ganguly dies.

The family splits and what they undergo and despite the hardships and separation, the bond that the sisters share stays strong. One can see the transformation of the sisters and Chitra has brought it out well.

Overall a good read for those who love historical fiction.