Before We Visit the Goddess (36 page)

© Murthy Divakaruni

CHITRA BANERJEE DIVAKARUNI
is the author of sixteen books, including
Oleander Girl, The Mistress of Spices, Sister of My Heart, The Palace of Illusions,
and
One Amazing Thing.
Her work has appeared in
The New Yorker, The Atlantic,
and
The New York Times,
and has won, among other prizes, an American Book Award. Born in India, she currently lives in Texas and is the McDavid Professor of Creative Writing at the University of Houston.

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Also by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

Oleander Girl

Grandma and the Great Gourd: A Folk Tale

One Amazing Thing

Shadowland

The Palace of Illusions

The Mirror of Fire and Dreaming

Queen of Dreams

The Conch Bearer

The Vine of Desire

Neela: Victory Song

The Unknown Errors of Our Lives: Stories

Sister of My Heart

Leaving Yuba City: Poems

The Mistress of Spices

Arranged Marriage: Stories

Black Candle

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This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and events are products of the author's imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Copyright © 2016 by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever. For information, address Simon & Schuster Subsidiary Rights Department, 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020.

First Simon & Schuster hardcover edition April 2016

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Interior design by Joy O'Meara

Jacket design by Grace Han

Handful of petals image: © Soleilc/Shutterstock

Rose petals: © Eduard Derule/Shutterstock

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Divakaruni, Chitra Banerjee, 1956- author.

Title: Before we visit the goddess : a novel / Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni.

Description: New York : Simon & Schuster, 2016.

Identifiers: LCCN 2015041714

Subjects: LCSH: Mothers and daughters—Fiction. | East Indians—United States—Fiction. | Families—United States—Fiction. | Families—India—Fiction. | Domestic fiction. | BISAC: FICTION / Family Life. | FICTION / Contemporary Women.

Classification: LCC PS3554.I86 B44 2016 | DDC 813/.54—dc23 LC record available at
http://lccn.loc.gov/2015041714

ISBN 978-1-4767-9200-2

ISBN 978-1-4767-9202-6 (ebook)