Im a big fan of the authors poetry and nonfiction, but the short stories were harder to manage for me, in part because they tilted so heavily toward despair. A few stories have hopeful moments, but most them end unresolved and on a downbeat. ‘A woman’s look at crime and punishment, loyalty, promises, love and vengeance. Palace of Illusions features disillusioned protagonists trapped by their circumstances. Charming and remarkable’ Houston Chronicle The Palace of Illusions is a collection of many delights, its mirrors reflecting and magnifying the contradictions and conflicts inherent in human experience. ‘A radiant entree into an ancient mythology. ‘A mythic tale brimming with warriors, magic and treachery’ Los Angeles Times Tracing Panchaali's life - from fiery birth and lonely childhood, where her beloved brother is her only true companion through her complicated friendship with the enigmatic Krishna to marriage, motherhood and Panchaali's secret attraction to the mysterious man who is her husbands' most dangerous enemy - The Palace of Illusions is a deeply human novel about a woman born into a man's world - a world of warriors, gods and the ever manipulating hands of fate. The Palace of Illusions takes us back to a time that is half-history, half-myth, and wholly magical narrated by Panchaali, the wife of the five Pandava brothers, we are - finally - given a woman's take on the timeless tale that is the Mahabharata The Palace of Illusions By Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni DOUBLEDAY 360 PAGES 23.95 In a start-of-the-new-year promotion, Britains Guardian newspaper has been giving away a series of booklets and.

The palace of illusions