It was first published in the united states in voice by. Your essay should include a close reading of the text. One scene, one event, one moment has drawn a complex set of diverse actors together in this novel, and divakaruni does an excellent job of giving each character the perspective and depth that we need to not only listen to their voice. Click here for the complete analysis of the entire book. One amazing thing is a 2010 novel by awardwinning novelist and poet chitra banerjee divakaruni. Her arrival to india is both down to earth she will get together with her sibling and sentimental. Ha jin, author of a free life and the national book awardwinning waiting chitra divakaruni understands the power of stories to heal us, make us laugh, and comfort us in the most difficult of circumstances. One amazing thing by chitra banerjee divakaruni librarything. Chitra divakarunis new novel is a wise and spiritual work that is. Cameron is a black guy who works at the indian embassy. Buy one amazing thing book online at low prices in india. Erin delaney csu northridge one amazing thing book group meeting, march, 2012 background information.
Immersed in regret or hope or trepidation as is usual for persons planning a major journey, they took it to be a passing cablecar. In divakarunis novel one amazing thing, the action takes place in a visa office, in what appears to be california. One amazing thing collapses the walls dividing characters and cultures. After initial resistance everybody agrees and uma suggests that each one shares the. They are, as the blurb suggests, a diverse bunch of people. One amazing thing is one powerful and beautifully written book. One amazing thing by chitra banerjee divakaruni essay. This 27page guide for one amazing thing by chitra divakaruni includes detailed chapter summaries and analysis covering 16 chapters. The novel takes place in the basement of the indian embassy in san francisco, and the tension ramps up as an earthquake traps the nine characters in the basement hoping and waiting for help to come. May 15, 2016 one amazing thing by chitra banerjee divakaruni nine people, nine stories, one disaster that is what this book is about. Why was each character s one amazing thing remarkable. Chitra banerjee divakaruni born chitralekha banerjee, july 29, 1956 is an indianamerican author, poet, and the betty and gene mcdavid professor of writing at the university of houston creative writing program her short story collection, arranged marriage won an american book award in 1996, and two of her novels the mistress of spices and sister of my heart as well. One amazing thing quotes by chitra banerjee divakaruni.
A series of linked narrative poems and prose pieces by geoffrey chaucer, composed during the last two decades of the 14th century. Mar 26, 2010 in one amazing thing, divakaruni has transposed those experiences to an unnamed city in what appears to be california just as an earthquake strikes strangers who have been waiting impatiently in a. One amazing thing major character analysis supersummary. One amazing thing is a passionate creation about survivaland about the reasons to survive. I think the author draws on typical human interactions and perception to accomplish this for as we meet new people, arent our. The first onethird of the book shows each character in a certain firmly set plasterofparis role. The pressure brought out the worst in some and the best in others. As divakaruni wrote her novel, queen of dreams, in response to 911, she imagined one amazing thing after surviving hurricane rita. Winner of a pushcart prize for poetry and an american book award for her short stories, chitra banerjee divakaruni explores themes of women, immigration, and her vibrant indian culture to great effect. As the water gets higher, they decamp to the tops of. As a massive earthquake strikes the city, nine people trapped in the basement of. She is in love with a man named ramon, a scientist.
Chitra banerjee divakarunis novel one amazing thing tells the story of nine people trapped in an elevator in the basement of an indian consulate in an. One amazing thing by chitra banerjee divakaruni is a smattering of short stories within the context of a larger story. One amazing thing book by chitra banerjee divakaruni. Listen to one amazing thing by chitra banerjee divakaruni. In the book one amazing thing, i wanted to explore the spiritual question of what we do in such circumstances, a question for each of the characters and hopefully for the readers. Basically an earth quake hits some town in california, so i think nine people are trapped in the indian consulate office. Chitra divakarunis new novel is a wise and spiritual work that is also amply entertaining and touching. One scene, one event, one moment has drawn a complex set of diverse actors together in this novel, and divakaruni does an excellent job of giving each character the perspective and depth that we need to not only listen to their voice, but to stand outside of them and see. Thanks to all the wednesday night bookclub members for a great discussion of one amazing thing by chitra banerjee divakaruni. She has in certainty kept her initial life covered up for every one of the years when she was in america, where she was hitched to a good man, brought up her youngsters, and ran a market. It was a great conversation and i highly recommend it for other book clubs across the country. Tariq is a violent muslim who likes to strangle people. Jan 27, 2010 one amazing thing is a passionate creation about survivaland about the reasons to survive. Uma in an american indian girl who rebels against her parents wishes by having a relationship with a.
It was first published in the united states in voice by hyperion 2009 and later published in hamish hamilton by penguin books india 2010. An old chinese woman jiang and her granddaughter lily, an angry muslim. A group of nine people are stuck in the visa office of the indian consulate in an american city after a massive earthquake. An acclaimed novel by the author of the mistress of spices, and before we.
A storyteller of exquisite lyricism and compassion, divakaruni weaves a suspenseful, astute, and unforgettable survivors tale. I loved it, and im sure that readers everywhere will embrace it too. One amazing thing kindle edition by divakaruni, chitra. Trust me, one amazing thing is one of the best book that ive read this year. One amazing thing for this assignment, you are to write a 46 page thesis driven essay, in mla format. One amazing thing is a wonderful read, mainly for the many stories that weave together to make a coherent unit. One amazing thing by chitra banerjee divakaruni nine people, nine stories, one disaster that is what this book is about. The book opens from the point of view of the graduate student as she surveys the indian embassy and its occupants during the start of the earthquake. The stories spin the characters in different directions, even as their physical proximity grows closer. Chitra banerjee divakarunis novel one amazing thing tells the story of nine people trapped in an elevator in the basement of an indian consulate in an unnamed american city after a tragic. One amazing thing by chitra banerjee divakaruni 7,182 ratings, 3.
One amazing thing, divakarunis eleventh novel and sixteenth book. True, the nine characters are captives of a disaster, but they are also pilgrims of the spirit, seeking one amazing thing, affirming that life, for all its pain, is miraculous. In one amazing thing, divakaruni has transposed those experiences to an unnamed city in what appears to be california just as an earthquake strikes strangers who have been waiting impatiently in a. Listen to one amazing thing by chitra banerjee divakaruni at. Out of the nine people in the visa office, did you identify with any in particular. One amazing thing by chitra banerjee divakaruni kirkus. This 27page guide for one amazing thing by chitra divakaruni includes detailed chapter summaries and analysis covering 16 chapters, as well as several. Nine strangers, one amazing thing by jane ciabatta. Late afternoon sun sneaks through the windows of a passport and visa office in an unnamed american city. One amazing thing, her sixteenth book connects so strongly that together with her nine characters, we are tethered on a raft of emotions as we await the next tremor. Jhumpa lahiri, author of interpreter of maladies and the namesake i was up very late.
One amazing thing is a story, which brings together nine people from diverse backgrounds at an indian consulate where they have gone to get visas to travel to india. Its weakness is that she fails to give her characters their own voices when they are telling their tales, relying on a polished narrative. We read it for our book club and we were inspired to share one amazing thing that happened in each of our lives. One amazing thing chitra banerjee divakaruni, 2010 hyperion everywomans voice 220 pp. The whole doc is available only for registered users open doc. From chitra divakaruni, author of such finely wrought, bestselling novels as sister of my heart, the palace of illusions, and the mistress of spices, comes her most compelling and transporting story to date. Supersummary, a modern alternative to sparknotes and cliffsnotes, offers highquality study guides for challenging works of literature.
When the first rumble came, no one in the visa office, down in the basement of the indian consulate, thought anything of it. Lawrence once said that the novel is a perfect medium for revealing to us the changing rainbow of our living relationships and it can help us to live, as nothing else can. Divakaruni expands on these ideas in one amazing thing, a project long in the making and full of electric prose. If i am in a situation of true danger where the primal urge for survival kicks in, would i be able to rise to a level of compassion. One amazing thing by chitra divakaruni published by hachette books on february 2nd 2010 genres. One amazing thing collapses the walls dividing characters and. One amazing thing by chitra banerjee divakaruni goodreads. Jiang is a chinese woman who lets a strange man bang her so she can go to. Seven visa applicants wait for the services of two bureaucrats in the basementlevel visa office of an indian consulate. In chaucers work, twentynine explorers are traveling from london to visit the sanctuary of st. Chitra divakarunis one amazing thing begins with uma reading chaucers canterbury tales as she waits in the basement visa office of an indian consulate in california. Uma is a young college student traveling to india to visit her parents. One amazing thing is a passionate creation about survival. The characters in one amazing thing are stuck in a passport and visa office in an unnamed american city.
Truly a book well written full of such love, compassion and an ending you wont believe. One amazing thing by chitra divakaruni, paperback barnes. To pass the time, the narrator, a young graduate students, asks each person to share a story of one amazing thing. Chitra banerjee divakaruni s novel one amazing thing tells the story of nine people trapped in an elevator in the basement of an indian consulate in an unnamed american city after a tragic. Cultural, india, fiction, contemporary, literary fiction, short stories, adult, novels, asian literature, indian literature, book club, asia. One amazing thing hyperion is a passionate creation about survivaland about. Then, sure enough, the character of the book that suggests the storytelling does so. One amazing thing by chitra banerjee divakaruni excerpt. When the earthquake strikes, her arm is seriously wounded or broken. This 27page guide for one amazing thing by chitra divakaruni includes detailed chapter summaries and analysis covering 16 chapters, as well as several more indepth sections of expertwritten literary analysis. Malathi is an embassy employee who wants to bone mr. The book begins and ends with uma sinha, the graduate student. In one stunning thing, divakaruni gives a purposeful gesture to geoffrey chaucers medieval era story the canterbury stories.
Chitra divakaruni will be the keynote speaker at freshman convocation. Unfortunately, its the kind of publicity that an author would rarely court, even if it results in highprofile interviews, glossy profiles and an uptick in book sales. The book is a fun read from the first page to the last. The first one third of the book shows each character in a certain firmly set plasterofparis role. A diverse group trapped in the aftermath of a disaster shares tales of love, loss and desire. I read straight through because this is the sort of book that pulls you along. One amazing thing summary and study guide supersummary. Uma is a young student of english literature who arrives at the visa office of the indian consulate at an american city. One amazing thing is one amazing set of wellwoven characters and stories. Chitra banerjee divakarunis new novel, one amazing thing, has been getting a lot of publicity lately.
Divakaruni moves effortlessly from one character to another, and across a. Most customers and even most office workers have come and gone, but nine people remain. Click below for more about one amazing thing by chitra banerjee divakaruni. Jan 01, 20 this is the second book ive read written by kevin alan milne and it is just as good as or even better than the first. Divakarunis latest the palace of illusions, 2008, etc. Was there an action or behavior by a character that resonated with you. I like how loving nathan is and how he helps others and mostly his family. Towards the end of a normal work day, there are nine people remaining in the basement of the indian consulate waiting for their visas.
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