The Vine of Desire (review)

Luminous is the word that always comes to mind when I think of Divakaruni's writing. Sequel to Sister of My Heart (though it stands alone with no problem), this is a novel about a love triangle gone horribly wrong. Anju's husband can't quell his feelings for his wife's beautiful cousin and best friend, Sudha. When Sudha and her baby daughter come from India to live with them in California after Sudha's difficult divorce, the delicate balance between the three is soon upended, with tragic results. While the internal dynamic of the love triangle and eventual falling-out between all three protagonists is the novel's primary focus, Divakaruni also poignantly portrays the way each wrestles with cultural dislocation and the friction of changing gender roles. They end up with both greater freedoms and opportunities than they might have had if they had remained in India, but they must tackle much greater anomie and loneliness as well.