After September 11, 2001, I was feeling like I really wanted more understanding between cultures. It seemed to me that so much of what happened on September 11 was because people didn't understand each other and were suspicious of each other. Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni culturefelthappen share on social
I think writers from both East and West have long been fascinated by the ancient tales and the opportunity to reinterpret them. Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni ancienteastfascinate Change image and share on social
I am a Hindu, brought up mostly in India. Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni bringhinduindia Change image and share on social
Unlike novels with a hero or two heroines, in 'One Amazing Thing,' all the characters tell stories they've never told anyone before, so all the voices become equally important. Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni amazecharacterequally Change image and share on social
When I was volunteering with Hurricane Katrina refugees in Houston in 2005, I first started thinking about the whole phenomenon of grace under pressure. Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni gracehoustonhurricane Change image and share on social
'The Moonstone' was all I could have hoped for. A mysterious, cursed jewel, wrested from India, only to be stolen later from a great British mansion. Enigmatic, dangerous priests who follow it across the ocean in hopes of wresting it back. Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni backbritishcurse share on social
I work very hard at creating complex characters, a mix of positives and negatives. They are all flawed. I believe flaws are almost universal, and they help us understand, sympathise and, paradoxically, feel closer to such characters. Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni characterclosecomplex share on social
I've been interested in dreams myself for a long time, and it's a big part of the Indian tradition, especially where I was brought up in Calcutta in my family, which is quite traditional. Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni bigbringcalcutta Change image and share on social
The Mahabharata might have been a great and heroic battle, but there are no winners. The losers, of course, lose. Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni battlegreatheroic Change image and share on social
America is a country formed by diverse communities from different countries. Overall, the country is very hospitable and gives opportunities to grow. Saying that, I'd also say I'm not a 'white' immigrant; a South Asian's experience is different than, say, a European immigrant's. Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni americaasiancommunity share on social