Independence is the story of three sisters living near Calcutta in the 1940s as India finally escapes from colonial rule. I was woefully uneducated about how violent a time this was and about the way India was partitioned into India and Pakistan.  Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni not only writes a beautifully compelling story of a family during this time, but she also gently weaves in so much historical information so you are learning while engrossed in the precarious stories of Priya, Jamini, and Deepa. 

Priya dreams of being a doctor in a country that does not allow women in that position. Deepa is in love with a family friend but it must be a secret. And Jamini is the often left out sister, walking with a limp and feeling every bit left out of the fun her sisters are always having.  Tragedy strikes their family to begin the story, and then more atrocities of the struggle for independence happen to and around them. Through it all, the sisters are clear individuals and I loved each of their personalities. The way their stories diverge and then come back together in this novel is poignant and incredible when you consider that it is done in under 300 pages. 

Once I learned the names of the family members and their dear friends, I couldn't put this book down and my only complaint is that I wanted to be with these characters longer. This story was absolutely stunning and I cannot wait to read from  Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni  again.