The release date for the English version of 'The Forest of Enchantments' by
Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni is Jan 2019. If you enjoy this novel, it is available for buy as a paperback from Barnes & Noble or Indigo, as an ebook on the Amazon Kindle store, or as an audiobook on Audible.
One of the best epics in history, the Ramayana, is also a tragic tale of love. Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni skillfully retells the story with Sita at its center. This is Sita's version.
The stories of Kaikeyi, Surpanakha, and Mandodari—three other women in the epic who are frequently misinterpreted and marginalized—in The Forest of Enchantments are likewise incredibly human. As Chitra turns an old tale into a compelling, modern fight of wills, it is also a commentary on honor, responsibility, treachery, and infidelity. It also addresses women's struggle to maintain autonomy in a society that gives preference to men.
Even if the Ramayana still has relevance today, she makes it even more so by addressing one of the novel's central themes: how should family members respect women? What rights do they have in a relationship? When is a woman ever appropriate to say, "Enough!"?