Award-winning and bestselling author of The Last Queen and The Forest of Enchantments Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni publishes her most ambitious novel to date.
HarperCollins Publishers India will release Independence later this year, which marks 75 years of India’s independence.
Set against the freedom struggle, Independence is an unforgettable story about three sisters, their unbreakable bond, and a nation about to be born. Film rights to Independence have already been optioned.
Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni says, “Independence is a novel very close to my heart. My grandfather was involved in the freedom movement, so it is especially meaningful for me. I have poured all my creative energies into this story of nationhood, womanhood, love, longing and hatred. I hope it will resonate with my readers.”
Ananth Padmanabhan, CEO, HarperCollins India, says, “A new book from Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni is not just a publishing event but also a gift. Over the last two decades Chitra has enthralled readers with one magnificent story after another, and her new novel Independence is everything you can expect and more. As the country celebrates 75 years of freedom, the timing couldn’t have been better for a book that is as much personal as it is relevant. Chitra is one of the world’s foremost storytellers and in this novel she shows you why.”
Diya Kar, Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni’s editor, says, “Independence will get under your skin. Not just the three sisters at the heart of the novel, Deepa, Jamini and Priya, but also the men—particularly Somnath Chowdhury and Nabakumar Ganguly. As we mark 75 years of India’s freedom, it is a timely reminder of what a great gift independence is, and how much carnage and suffering hate can bring. The immense power of Chitra’s storytelling makes her one of our most-beloved authors. I can’t wait for her new novel to be read and loved.”