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Neela: Victory Song

Name: Neela: Victory Song
Author: Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
ISBN: 9781584855217

by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

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About the Author, Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

Award-winning author and poet Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni was born in India and came to the United States at 19. She put herself through Berkeley doing odd jobs, from working at an Indian boutique to slicing bread in a bakery -- nowadays, she's enjoying the raves for her latest novel, Queen of Dreams.

Good To Know

Some outtakes from our interview with Divakaruni:

"During graduate school, I used to work in the kitchen of the International House at the University of California, Berkeley. My favorite task was slicing Jell-O."

"I love Chinese food, but my family hates it. So when I'm on book tour I always eat Chinese!"

"I almost died on a pilgrimage trip to the Himalayas some years back -- but I got a good story out of it. The story is in The Unknown Errors of Our Lives -- let's see if readers can figure out which one it is!"

"Writing is so central to my life that it leaves little time/desire/need for other interests.. I do a good amount of work with domestic violence organizations -- I'm on the advisory board of Asians Against Domestic Violence in Houston. I feel very strongly about trying to eradicate domestic violence from our society."

"My favorite ways to unwind are to do yoga, read, and spend time with my family."

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Editorials

School Library Journal

Gr 5-8-Neela, 12, lives in India, where 200 years of British rule has turned sour. When she befriends an underground freedom fighter, Samar, her interest in India's struggle begins to consume her every thought. Her father has joined Mohandas Gandhi's peaceful "civil disobedience" movement, and she becomes determined to help him and Samar fight for her country's freedom. Meanwhile, her mother has brought her news of an offer of marriage, a lucky catch as the boy is from a wealthy and cultured family. Refusing to rush into an engagement, she steals away from home, disguised as a boy, and heads for Calcutta. Neela has several adventures and close calls, but she finds both men and is instrumental in getting them safely home. A strong female protagonist and historical subject matter are limited by a predictable plot. A hinted-at romance between Samar and Neela never emerges and the drama of the country's political tension is watered-down by far-fetched heroics. For a title that focuses on the mystical and exotic flavor of India, lead readers to Suzanne Fisher Staples's Shiva's Fire (Farrar, 2000).-Alison Follos, North Country School, Lake Placid, NY Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.