Book Review: The Palace Of Illusions

Mahabharat is a major Sanskrit epic of ancient India the tells the story of two noble families, the Pandavas and the Kauravas, who battle each other over rule of the Hastinapura kingdom. Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni retells this story of Mahabharat from Draupadi's point of view. She was the wife of all five Pandava brothers hence also known as Panchaali. The plot remains true to the original, but the story beings when Draupadi is born out of fire to avenge her father. It proceeds with more details of her life from childhood to being tricked into marrying five Pandav brother's and what follows after that. Kudos to Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni who has taken a male-centered story and breathed a new life into its female characters, giving us a story that is both contemporary yet timeless. I would definitely recommend you read this book whether or not you have read Mahabharat before. I would rate this book 5/5 and kudos to Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni for taking such a bold step.