Rating: 
Summary: Worth reading, but....
Review: While I enjoyed this sequel to "Sister of My Heart", I found that it paled in comparison. It was not as vivid, not as energetic, not as descriptive, yet it sometimes was overdone. I really wish that the author had left this story in India and think that she was more comfortable with a novel that was set there.This book continues the story of Sudha and Anju, cousins raised like sisters in Calcutta. Both have married but Anju and her husband Sunil have emigrated to the United States while Sudha struggles, in vain, to keep her marriage together in India. While Divakaruni's beautiful prose is still front and center, and held my attention most of the time, I found that the story of Sudha's arrival and life in America was just too dragged out. Anju should have known better than to insist that Sudha (and her baby girl) come to live with she and her husband Sunil in their cramped apartment in California. After all, she knew of her husband's attraction to her cousin. At times I felt like yelling at these young women to JUST DO IT. Neither of them were at all decisive and merely let things happen to them. And Sunil was not much better. He seemed more concerned with OJ Simpson than with what was happening under his own roof. There was little communication between the cousins, nor between Sunil and Anju. It was interesting to read about how the young women viewed and tried to adapt to the new culture in which they were living. And I really enjoyed the section of the book when Sudha goes off on her own to nurse an elderly Indian man. This is a lovely and touching section, successfully weaving the immigrant Indian culture with that of the old country.
Rating:
Summary: Worth reading, but....
Review: While I enjoyed this sequel to "Sister of My Heart", I found that it paled in comparison. It was not as vivid, not as energetic, not as descriptive, yet it sometimes was overdone. I really wish that the author had left this story in India and think that she was more comfortable with a novel that was set there. This book continues the story of Sudha and Anju, cousins raised like sisters in Calcutta. Both have married but Anju and her husband Sunil have emigrated to the United States while Sudha struggles, in vain, to keep her marriage together in India. While Divakaruni's beautiful prose is still front and center, and held my attention most of the time, I found that the story of Sudha's arrival and life in America was just too dragged out. Anju should have known better than to insist that Sudha (and her baby girl) come to live with she and her husband Sunil in their cramped apartment in California. After all, she knew of her husband's attraction to her cousin. At times I felt like yelling at these young women to JUST DO IT. Neither of them were at all decisive and merely let things happen to them. And Sunil was not much better. He seemed more concerned with OJ Simpson than with what was happening under his own roof. There was little communication between the cousins, nor between Sunil and Anju. It was interesting to read about how the young women viewed and tried to adapt to the new culture in which they were living. And I really enjoyed the section of the book when Sudha goes off on her own to nurse an elderly Indian man. This is a lovely and touching section, successfully weaving the immigrant Indian culture with that of the old country.
Rating: 
Summary: Worth Reading, but a bit dissappointing
Review: While Vine of Desire isn't nearly as great as Sister of My heart, it does have a charm all of it's own and completes the story. Sister of My Heart was a moving tale that spanned years, while this story was only a few months worth of life. Like another reviewer mentioned, I wished she would have stayed in India with her story. At times I felt it was overdone, too flowery. Sometimes it was confusing who she was writing about. Other than those drawbacks, I'd recommend this book to those fans of Sister of My Heart, and most importantly if you haven't read Sister of My heart that's a must!! It is by far the best book I read last year, full of emotion and beauty.
Rating:
Summary: All this criticism is overblown.
Review: Yes, Chitra Divakaruni has set the bar very high for herself. Sister of My Heart is nearly transcendent; definitely read it. Vine of Desire is a different slice of life. To some extent it can be attributed to the narrow nature of our culture, both in the US and especially in Silicon Valley, as compared to the exotic stories, aromas and colors of India. However, this book is captivating and the quality of Divakaruni's prose is rare. I imagine that some of the feedback that Anjul receives from her writing professors is somewhat autobiographical. If so, we are fortunate that a few professors appreciated Divakaruni's voice.
The characters especially have texture to me. I agonized for Anjul and often wanted to shake her for the things that she chose not to see. I recognized Sunil's control and his near-indentured absorption in his career. I too was seduced by Sudha's beauty and by the description of the dishes that she prepared. And I hoped that Sudha and Sunil would manage their passion with perspective.
The ending is a bit too convenient and the charming Lalit is a tad too indulgent. I think that it all leads to a sequel. I'll be happy to go back to India. I'm interested to see Lalit there coming to understand the complexity which Sudha and all of them are dealing with; his own heritage. The exposure the Indian culture is beautiful and I hope we return to more of that.
Vine of Desire does wrap itself around us. The characters make some of the classic flaws of Greek drama. So, we await Divakaruni's mastery to resolve the critical bonds and to arouse our senses.
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