Born in Calcutta and raised throughout India, she came to the United States in 1976, earning a doctorate in English at the University of California at Berkeley. She lived and taught in the San Francisco Bay area for 20 years before moving here last summer. In September she started teaching in the University of Houston's much-respected creative writing program. Beneath Divakaruni's engaging laugh and genial manner is not only a serious writer but someone committed to improving the plight of women in India and in this country. Writing was a good way to try to get a handle on those things.
Indian artwork is the main decorative element.
Her publisher is about to send her on a lengthy tour to promote Sister of My Heart. Mistress of Spices , a magical realist novel about an Indian sorceress who dispenses soul-healing spices from a shabby shop in Oakland, Calif., was a huge best seller on the West Coast. Her first book, the short-story collection Arranged Marriages , was published in 1995 and remains in print in paperback. She is also the author of four poetry collections. She's a writer who has found both popular and critical success.