Combining myth, history, fantasy, and philosophy, The Palace of Illusions tells the story of Draupadi, wife of the Pandavas, in a retelling of the Indian epic the Mahabharat. Neha and Shruti discuss the themes of appearances, feminism, and assertiveness in the various characters, while digging in to the plot.

We also get to chat with our first podcast guest! Mishika is a co-founder of Brown Girl Bookshelf, a platform that celebrates South Asian writers and literature. She tells us about Divakaruni's latest novel, Independence, and we just had so much fun talking with her about books, reading, and life!

Shelf Discovery and Other Books Mentioned

The Palace of Illusions by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

The Forest of Enchantments by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

The Twentieth Wife by Indu Sundaresan

Kaikeyi by Vaishnavi Patel

Independence by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

The Parted Earth by Anjali Enjeti

The Daughters of Madurai by Rajasree Variyar

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The Palace of Illusions with Brown Girl Bookshelf