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The Forest of Enchantments
The Forest of Enchantments | Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
20 posts | 15 read | 20 to read
The Ramayana, one of the world's greatest epics, is also a tragic love story. In this brilliant retelling, Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni places Sita at the centre of the novel: this is Sita's version. The Forest of Enchantments is also a very human story of some of the other women in the epic, often misunderstood and relegated to the margins: Kaikeyi, Surpanakha, Mandodari. A powerful comment on duty, betrayal, infidelity and honour, it is also about women's struggle to retain autonomy in a world that privileges men, as Chitra transforms an ancient story into a gripping, contemporary battle of wills. While the Ramayana resonates even today, she makes it more relevant than ever, in the underlying questions in the novel: How should women be treated by their loved ones? What are their rights in a relationship? When does a woman need to stand up and say, 'Enough!'
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quote
moontree
The Forest of Enchantments | Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

Love was full of contradictions. Sometimes the person you loved weakened you and sometimes he or she made you a stronger person. But under exactly what conditions did these very different changes occur?

~Chitra bannerjee divakaruni

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booksandbipolar
The Forest of Enchantments | Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
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This book is teaching me a lot about a difficult subject like love, maybe this is the reason why I am reading this book like a snail. 🐌





#reading #readinglist #reader #she #reads #quotes #readercommunity #readingchallenge #words #thoughts #mood #books #bookstoread #listy #safeplace

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booksandbipolar
The Forest of Enchantments | Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
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booksandbipolar
The Forest of Enchantments | Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
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When I read these words, I learned another new thing about LOVE, sometimes the one we love makes us so brave that we do not shy away from fighting with anything, and sometimes this love weakens us so much that we start getting scared of ourselves.
Love is also like a coin, it has two sides, your luck has heads or tails, you will know only when you toss the coin.





#reader #she #reads #books #readingchallenge #safeplace #bookslove #words

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booksandbipolar
The Forest of Enchantments | Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
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When will we understand that man and woman are the same? A man's words are not always true, nor is the woman's silence always necessary. From Ramayana till today, this is the only debate, when will we rise above these things and think.



#books #reader #she #reads #quotes #thoughts

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booksandbipolar
The Forest of Enchantments | Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
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Sometimes we know some things, just sometimes we need someone to remind us of those things.





#books #bookstoread #she #reads #readingchallenge #quotes #thoughts #relatable #mood #bookworm #bibliophile #safeplace #readercommunity #love #live #laugh #truth

Trashcanman I love your handle, I have BD and love to raise awareness. 3y
booksandbipolar @Trashcanman I can understand, I have done my masters in psychology and I always try to aware people as much as I can. 3y
3 likes2 comments
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booksandbipolar
The Forest of Enchantments | Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
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Cold weather, a hot cup of tea and a good book is enough to make this day memorable.





#mood #reader #book #thoughts #bibliophile #bookstoread #cold #peace #live #love #laugh #safeplace #she #reads #quotes #readercommunity

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booksandbipolar
The Forest of Enchantments | Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
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booksandbipolar
The Forest of Enchantments | Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
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I've been really inspired by everyone posting their 2022 reading challenge. So here are the few books I'm planning to read in 2022. ✨





#bookstoread #newyear #2022readinglist #bibliophile #live #laugh #love #she #reads #happy #safeplace

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Doji
The Forest of Enchantments | Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
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And finally, I bless my daughters, who are yet unborn. I pray that, if life tests them—as sooner or later life is bound to do—they‘ll be able to stand steadfast and think carefully, using their hearts as well as their heads, understanding when they need to compromise, and knowing when they must not.

- Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

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EclecticReaders
The Forest of Enchantments | Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
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In this episode we read The Forest of Enchantments, which is a retelling of the Ramayana from Sita‘s perspective. Jeannette, Meredith, and Susan discuss Sita's lessons on love, Ram's struggle with his honor, and the strength of women. Listen at eclecticreaders.fireside.fm/88 or in your favorite podcast app under Eclectic Readers and let us know your thoughts!

22 likes1 stack add
review
Shaleen
The Forest of Enchantments | Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
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Pickpick

Ramayan is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India. The FoE is a re-telling of Ramayan from Sita‘s perspective. The story of Ramayan is known to every Indian by heart and yet this book is very special. The book does justice to many strong female women of the time who have been forgotten or overlooked by tradition. It is tragic and heartbreaking but gives a unique perspective on the age old tale. Recommended to all mythology lovers.

ChaoticMissAdventures I have always really enjoyed her writing. 4y
Reggie I haven‘t read this one but I‘ve read two of her short story collections and 4 of her other books. I love her writing so much. 4y
Shaleen @ChaoticMissAdventures Me too😊 Looking forward to read more of her works. 4y
See All 6 Comments
Shaleen @Reggie I have read only one other work by her that is the Palace of Illusions and absolutely loved it. It would be great if you could recommend some of your favourites by Divakaruni. 4y
Reggie @Shaleen she has Sister of My Heart which is one of my all time favorite books. And the follow up which is great is The Vine of Desire. Then her short story collections Arranged Marriage and The Unknown Errors of Our Lives are both great. Both have stories I still think about even though it‘s been over 10 years since I‘ve read them. Hope you enjoy them! 😊 4y
Shaleen @Reggie Adding these to my TBR right away. Thank you😊 4y
70 likes4 stack adds6 comments
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EclecticReaders
The Forest of Enchantments | Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
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Read along with us!

review
jmtrivera
The Forest of Enchantments | Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
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Pickpick

Through her journey, Sita reflects on the love she & Ram share, which leads her to make both impulsive & well-considered decisions, to take actions that both support him & hurt him. Despite the similarity of their beliefs in their duties, those duties separate them. Her musings on love often got repetitive though & I didn't feel emotionally engaged w/Sita throughout much of the book. Interesting and very readable though. Liked it, didn't love it.

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Melancholy2243
The Forest of Enchantments | Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
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Pickpick

Well, when it comes to this book I have a lot to say. It's a wonderful book, and a marvelous portrayal of the epic The Ramayana. The characters in the epic are magnificent, of larger than life attitude and turning them into such relatable, familiar characters with their own quirks and faults and peculiarities. I could understand more what the epic is all about, why the characters choose what they choose. It's an incredible insight into mythology.

66 likes3 stack adds
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BookishMe
The Forest of Enchantments | Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
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#QuotsyApr20 Transform

46 likes1 stack add
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Maude
The Forest of Enchantments | Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
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I love #bookmail and this cover 😍 A big thank you to #harpercollins and #goodreadsgiveaways !! I am so excited to start reading this.

Reggie I‘m a horrible fan, I had no idea she had a new one out this past year. I‘ll have to check this out. Sister of My Heart and Vine of Desire are my favorites of hers. 5y
Maude @Reggie , I'm glad to hear that, this is my first time reading her. The cover caught my attention and then the description was so good. 5y
41 likes2 comments
review
sreyakhan22
The Forest of Enchantments | Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
Pickpick

Very interesting and I loved the Sitayana part.
It was interesting to read Sita as an individual and not as Ram's wife.
I think my Respect for Sita increased when she decided not to go through another agni pariksha.
Very empowering .

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justagirlhighonbooks
The Forest of Enchantments | Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
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Oh! How beautiful this cover is!😍😍

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GlassAsDiamonds
The Forest of Enchantments | Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
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Ahh... yeah. The Ramayana is an epic I just don‘t get & I fail to see any romance in it (horribly bad précis: Sita marries Ram, follows him into exile, is abducted. Ram rescues her but decides there are doubts about her “purity” and asks her to set herself on fire to prove she wasn‘t raped then banishes her when she falls pregnant because people gossip). It‘s the basis for CBD‘s latest novel but I think I‘ll stick to Mistress of the Spices...

BiblioLitten Mistress of spices was good! So was 6y
28 likes1 comment