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The Palace of Illusions:

A Novel
Front Cover
25 Reviews
Picador, 2008 - Fiction - 360 pages

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 five Pandava brothers, we are -- finally -- given a woman's take on the timeless tale that is the Mahabharata

Tracing Panchaali's life -- from fiery birth and lonely childhood, where her beloved brother is her only true companion; through her complicated friendship with the enigmatic Krishna; to marriage, motherhood and Panchaali's secret attraction to the mysterious man who is her husbands' most dangerous enemy -- The Palace of Illusions is a deeply human

novel about a woman born into a man's world -- a world of warriors, gods and the ever manipulating hands of fate.

Praise for Queen of Dreams:

'A riveting story, eloquently written. Divakaruni's attention to detail in descriptive passages is beautifully telling' Boston Globe

'Magic, intuition and folklore drawn from India, combined with a darker, contemporary tale that will resonate with anyone who has struggled with modern love, mores and parenthood' USA Today

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Review: The Palace of Illusions

User Review - Goodreads

Popular perception states that Draupadi was a kritya, a woman brought forth into the world to destroy, the ill-fated one who was the cause of the ruin of a whole clan. She was a bad omen; a dark stain ...

Review: The Palace of Illusions

User Review  - Aruna Kumar Gadepalli - Goodreads

Writing a mythology based fiction is really difficulty. for the simple reason there might be many interpretations and to make the readers enjoy the book the writer has to put lots of effort. I feel ... Read full review

All 23 reviews »

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About the author (2008)

Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni’s books include the bestselling novels The Mistress of Spices, Queen of Dreams and Sister of My Heart , the prizewinning story collections Arranged Marriage and The Unknown Errors of Our Lives, and the ‘Conch Bearer’ series for children. She teaches creative writing at the University of Houston and divides her time between Houston and the San Francisco Bay area.

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