Oleander Girl

A Novel

By: Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

Narrated by: Sneha Mathan

A sweeping, suspenseful coming-of-age tale from Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, the beloved bestselling author hailed by Abraham Verghese as a “gifted storyteller” and by People magazine as a “skilled cartographer of the heart.”

Beloved bestselling author Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni has been hailed by Abraham Verghese as a “gifted storyteller” and by People magazine as a “skilled cartographer of the heart.” Now, Divakaruni returns with her most gripping novel yet, a sweeping, suspenseful coming-of-age tale about a young woman who leaves India for America on a search that will transform her life.

THOUGH SHE WAS ORPHANED AT BIRTH, the wild and headstrong Korobi Roy has enjoyed a privileged childhood with her adoring grandparents, spending her first seventeen years sheltered in a beautiful, crumbling old mansion in Kolkata. But despite all that her grandparents have done for her, she is troubled by the silence that surrounds the circumstances of her parents’ death and clings fiercely to her only inheritance from them: the love note she found, years ago, hidden in a book of poetry that had belonged to her mother. As she grows, Korobi dreams of one day finding a love as powerful as her parents’, and it seems her wish has finally come true when she meets the charming Rajat, the only son of a high-profile business family.

Shortly after their engagement, however, a sudden heart attack kills Korobi’s grandfather, revealing serious financial problems and a devastating secret about Korobi’s past. Shattered by this discovery and by her grandparents’ betrayal, Korobi decides to undertake a courageous search across post-9/11 America to find her true identity. Her dramatic, often startling journey will ultimately thrust her into the most difficult decision of her life.

With flawless narrative instinct and a boundless sympathy for her irrepressible characters, in Oleander Girl Divakaruni brings us a perfect treat of a novel— moving, wise, and unforgettable. As The Wall Street Journal raves, “Divakaruni emphasizes the cathartic force of storytelling with sumptuous prose. . . . She defies categorization.”

A LOVELY FANTASY

This novel wasa lovely escape, fantasticly written and read. It was so refreshing to find the young womam return to Kolkota rather than the typical conclusion of becoming "trapped" by the US self- serving sense of superiority. Great story!

Simply beautiful

Beautiful story of courage and self discovery. Loved all characters specially Pia and Asif’s friendship

Beautiful

Wonderful story! Lovely use of language, appreciate nuance. Full of compassion and respect for cultures. Great voice in narration!!

Excellent Dramatic Telling

Probably the best love story I’ve read in a while. Definitely worth a listen or read.

Touching story well told

Divakaruni has grown into such a fine and eloquent writer and I've grown with her. In this book the reader gets into the mind of all characters so deftly and so subtly that there is no black and white in any of these characters and just as humans are, there are shades of grey and we are bound to human folly, but how nicely she conveys her story! Sneha Mathur did a great job of reading the book and the audio book came to life with her various accents and voices.