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Queen of Dreams

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QUEEN OF DREAMS by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
October 3, 2004

I became a fan of Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni when I read SISTER OF MY HEART. QUEEN OF DREAMS is the fourth novel by Divakaruni that I've read and it did not disappoint. For those who have read her books, this one resembles VINE OF DESIRE the most, with both taking place in the Bay Area of Northern California, but at the same time has references that lead back to India. Both books relate to the immigrant's life in California, and how their life has changed since leaving their homeland.

But that is where the resemblance stops. In QUEEN OF DREAMS, the focus is on relationships, mostly between a mother, Mrs. Gupta, and her adult daughter Rahki. While VINE OF DESIRE was rooted in the physical world, QUEEN OF DREAMS flows into the world of dreams, as Mrs. Gupta has the ability to decipher them, be it her own or others. She has the ability to help others through their dreams, and this is what drives her. While mother and daughter are close, this is one area that Rahki is not allowed to trespass. She desires her mother's talent, but it was not passed on to her. It leaves Rahki bitter and resentful that she cannot share in this part of her mother's life.

The book follows Rahki's attempts to understand her mother better, and at the same time the reader, and later Rahki, are allowed to see what Mrs. Gupta's dream journal confesses. The journal tells Mrs. Gupta's story, from her days in India to her dreams that foretell her death.

Rahki, in the meantime, is newly divorced and living with her young daughter Jona. She is trying to survive by running a coffeehouse and selling her paintings, hoping to be "discovered" one day. She also has to deal with her ex-husband Sonny, who is in her life almost every day because of their daughter. She has not forgiven Sonny for something that happened during their marriage, and she has never told her family about this incident, which led to their divorce.

I enjoyed QUEEN OF DREAMS as much as I have enjoyed her other novels. I love how she blends in the culture of India, the Old World, with life in California. She does a good job describing what it feels like to be an immigrant in the United States, as well as being the children of immigrants, not quite belonging to the new country and certainly not belonging to the homeland. The segments on dreams were done well enough that Divakaruni had me believing in them.

She also did a good job showing how the characters related and reacted to September 11, which was the climax of the book. It brought back memories for me, showing how those of Middle Eastern descent and Indian descent, living in America, were treated due to the color of their skin, shortly after this horrific event. It again displayed the immigrant experience in America, one of the themes in QUEEN OF DREAMS.

For those who enjoy reading about other cultures living in America, or those who enjoy stories of mothers and daughters, this book is for you. I recommend this book heartily.

From the domestic to the mystical, Divakaruni has a unique talent for blending the daily lives of Indian-Americans with the myths of a distant homeland.

In a story that examines the relationship of a troubled young mother, in the middle of a divorce, with her own mother, a dream teller, we learn of the indecision and self-doubt that haunts Rakhi. Fascinated by her mother's past, the years spent in India training to counsel clients by reading their dreams, Rakhi is obsessed more with the known than the unknown, convinced that if she can solve the riddle of a distant mother, she will locate her own missing pieces.

When Rakhi's mother dies in an accident, the daughter is left with a failing tea shop, her mother's Dream Journals and unresolved questions about her failed marriage. When even her painting hits a brick wall and inspiration disappears, Rakhi is bereft. But as Rakhi's father translates the dream journals, painful truths are revealed to father and daughter, bringing them closer in grief and understanding. The journals are an unexpected parting gift, an opportunity for Rakhi and her father to reawaken their long-dormant relationship and heal past misunderstandings.

Through the journals, we learn of the despair of an intuitive Indian girl, forced to choose between her talent for dream telling and the love of the man she marries. The seemingly complacent wife, who has helped so many through difficulties, is a multi-layered, complex woman beset by her own inner challenges, searching for peace and contentment, faced with untenable choices. This mother is warm and accessible, her deep conflicts and passions revealed.

While the attacks on 9/11 throw the Indian-American community into the same confusion as other American citizens, they are later attacked because they look like terrorists, outcast in their own neighborhoods.

All of these things create the impetus that forces Rakhi into the necessary changes to get her life back on track. Questioning her most basic assumptions and motives, the true nature of love and the capacity to forgive, Rakhi makes an extraordinary journey, guided by the constant presence of her mother's loving spirit. Steeped in the ramifications of diversity, cultural identity and the importance of family, Divakaruni once more proves herself an inspiring and master storyteller. Luan Gaines/2004.

I have now read 4 of Ms. Divakaruni's books, and hope she writes another novel soon. She has a tremendous gift to make her images come to life in your head as you are reading. I also felt again that I was being given a privileged tour of a culture different than my own, and could see my own culture through different eyes. So in addition to being entertained, I was being educated. Along with a great story comes a little magic--in that way her work reminds me of Alice Hoffman--the magic seems like a completely natural and believeable part of the world. Read this book, and then read the rest of her work!

When I open the first pages of a novel by Chitra Divakaruni, I know I'm in good hands. There will be a fascinating, exciting story, interesting and compelling characters, and every event will be told in rich, poetic prose. Queen of Dreams is no exception. I read it very quickly because the story kept pulling me forward; one climax after another made for a very exciting read. I reread it more slowly, then, to enjoy details I might have missed. I was never disappointed. I recommend this book highly to anyone who is interested in relationships between family members and between friends. The events of 9/11/01 are also an important part of this story, with ramifications that are powerful and ring with truth.

Don't let the inclusion of Dream Journals throw you off. This thread running through the novel is more real than anything else in it; it's vivid and moving and an important part of the journey. It is not my idea of "magic realism." It is my idea of great story telling that makes me want to keep the pages turning in order to find out what happens next. When it's over, I have a lot to think about. I will certainly recommend it to my book group.

I envy those of you who have not yet read Queen of Dreams. You have a treat in store for you. I hope Divakaruni will gift us with another novel soon.

I like Ms. Divakaruni's writing. As usual this book is written very well switching from the dream world to mythical world and reality. But I found the story itself ( and the character Rakhi's mother) as gauzy as a dream. The writing about the aftermath of 9/11 is good. For me, the best books so far by Ms. Diva karuni are her short story collection "Arranged marriage ... " and "The unknown error of our lives".

Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni's latest novel QUEEN OF DREAMS is another tale of East meets West. She writes what she knows best, about the world of the Indian immigrant living in America. In this novel, as in THE VINES OF DESIRE, Divakaruni takes the reader to northern California. Rakhi, a divorced mother of one, is trying to deal with life as a single mother and understand her own mother, who is able to interpret dreams.

Divakaruni blends both the metaphysical with the tangible physical world. Mrs. Gupta, Rakhi's mother, had kept a journal throughout her life. The chapters of QUEEN OF DREAMS are interspersed with these journal entries that describe her dreams and her everyday waking thoughts. One gets a glimpse of her life, from her days in India where she learned to be a dream interpreter to the day she met her husband, Rakhi's father. Mrs. Gupta continues her journal after she settles in America with her new husband and child, revealing a different perspective from what Rakhi sees as reality. The dreams themselves take on a poetic feel, filled with symbolism and folklore that reveal to the reader an image of India; not the physical aspects, but the cultural beliefs, the myths, and the legends. It's a contrast between Western Civilization and the Old World of the East.

The story opens with Mrs. Gupta's dream of a snake, the foreseer of change. She tries to guess what the snake is telling her, whether he is foretelling a birth or a death. She senses a bad omen and finally understands that it is her own death the snake is warning her about. The snake reassures her that, although death means an end to life, it can also mean a new beginning. It is snippets of dreams like this that help shape the mood of the book and prepares the reader for what is yet to come.

Unlike her mother, Rakhi is totally rooted in the physical world of Northern California. She knows very little about her parents' lives in India and wishes she knew more. She makes her living by running a coffeehouse called The Chai House with her best friend Belle, but Rakhi's real goal is to become an artist. She paints when she can, and her latest obsession is a painting that involves a man dressed in white. She doesn't know who he is, but he hovers just beyond her reach. She searches in vain for this man that she instinctively feels may have the key to some of the unknowns in her life.

One of the main themes is that of the relationship between mother and daughter, and it is done very well through the characters of Rakhi and her mother, as well as through Rhaki's six-year-old daughter Jona. Rakhi feels close to her mother, but there is a wall that prevents them from ever becoming truly close. Her mother refuses to discuss the dreams or her life in India, and Rakhi is bitter, unhappy that she does not understand this part of her mother's life, a life that is so guarded that it causes a rift in their relationship. Her divorce is another sore point between them. Her parents still love Sonny, but she can never explain to them why she had to leave him. Her daughter Jona loves both her parents, and as the novel progresses, Rakhi encounters problems with her own daughter because of her muddled relationship with Sonny.

Things change when Mrs. Gupta dies in a tragic automobile accident, and the dynamics of some of Rakhi's important relationships are changed forever. She notices her father for the first time, and he's not the same indifferent man she thought she knew. Together they read her mother's journal, an act that will change both of them forever. She also finds herself in a maturing relationship with Sonny, while she herself is changing and growing too.

QUEEN OF DREAMS is ultimately a story of how one woman touches those around her during her life and into death. Divakaruni's talent is not only good storytelling, but also creating characters that are dynamic and real in one way or another. One may not truly believe in the power of dreams, but that isn't the point of this book. The focus is on family, relationships, pride in one's heritage, and how one may not truly understand another as well as they think. Highly recommended.

--- Reviewed by Marie Hashima Lofton (Ratmammy@lofton.org)

For some reason I discovered this book sitting in my bookshelf and have no idea when I purchased it and why. I read a book a week and was searching for something to read when I discovered this one. I had never heard or read anything by this author. My huge loss, for this is by far the best book I have read this year. Perhaps the best I have read in the past year as well.

While searching for some knowledge as to why her mother dies in an accident and trying to discover who she really was, Rakhi unwinds a tale that is so marvelous you cannot put this book down. Magic, mystery and wonder fill every page. Written at times like poetry, you are aware of this authors unbelievable talent with every page you read.

I will now read every other book she has written. Where are these great writers hidden ? Why are they known to someone like me who is an avid reader? We are forced into trusting the best sellers list and to read novels by mediocre writers to satisfy the demands of publisher who control the market as well as our minds.

This book is a gem and will make you hunger for more of this author.
Chitra Banergee Divakaruni........a toast to you and your talent. Please keep writing.

I come across the work of Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni through a radio interview in April. Her reading excerpt on the Queen of Dreams was so charming that I checked out the title in the nearby local library. Unforunately, that radio program ceased to pose her audio interview on line.

Time is well-spent reading this title as the many reviews of the title cover comment on the effect 'spiritually therapeutic'. Her narrative prose in first person account is so poetic that even a tormented main character, a single mother who struggles to paint, a La Boheme artist, sounds like a saint. What strikes me as universally humane is how Chitra describes the 'redemptive' process, sexual frustration with her ex-husband, friendship with her girlfriend, Freudian connection with her son Jonas (yes, the Biblical character), ambiguous reconciliation with her gifted mother after she died in an accident, and with her father who lent a cooking hand to support her 'faltering adventure in coffee shop business'. The father figure is fairly clear-cut.

For those who are new-age seekers, the self-discovery of identity in the post-modern Berkeley era does not sacrifice the quest of authentic intellectual curiosity. Rather it affirms a woman's struggling for her independence while longing her interdependence with those who care for her. Only a protagonist (here a woman) can write such moving novel.

If you enjoy poetry for the namesake of beauty, try the journal passge on how one interpretes the modality of 'thorn'. How many ways can one assign meanings to the dream about 'thorn'? That depends on who has the dream and in what context.

The author maintains a website for her other works.

Although well written as usual, my only complaint is that the author could have given us more. After developing the characters so well, she wraps up the story too fast and too neatly. It leaves you a bit unsatisfied at the end.

Queen of Dreams is a beautifully written gem of a novel. Full of provocative insights, and timely observations on marriage, family, racism, and the immigrant experience, the novel effectively chronicles the lives of a Bengali immigrant family living in California on the eve of September 11th 2001. Elegant is style and tone, the story centers around a woman caught between the real world that is crumbling around her and her mother's infectious and mysterious dream world.

The narrative alternates between Rakhi, who was born in the United States and her mother, Mrs. Gupta, who emigrated from India. Mrs. Gupta has a unique talent - she's a dream teller; she has the ability to translate dreams - be it her own or others. She is driven by the ability to help others through their dreams, having learned the technique from her childhood in India. Without a doubt Rakhi is American but a feeling of belonging to her birth land constantly haunts her. She is married and newly separated from Sonny, a young, carefree disc jockey, and she cares for Jona, their young daughter. One night Sonny left her to fend for herself at a dance party, and she has never forgiven him; she never told her family about it and the incident contributed to their separation.

Rakhi owns The Chai House, a small café, and Belle, her spunky girlfriend helps her run it. Rakhi is also a painter and hopes, one day to be discovered. But when a rival café opens on the opposite side of the street, and her mother dies in a fatal crash, she has to use all the resources at her disposal to save her flailing business, and repair the strained relationship with her daughter. Rakhi's father, who drinks on the weekend, comes to her aid and tries to help her rebuild her life, while also helping her translate her mother's dream journal from Bengali to English.

Much of the narrative centers on the relationship between mother and daughter, and Rakhi's often frustrated attempts to try to understand her mother better. Rakhi is prone to give in to life's dramas too easily - at one stage she angrily wants to close the café after the kitchen accidentally catches fire. She's also frustrated in her quest for her roots, and while she was always close to her mother, she feels angry and resentful that her mother's talent of dream interpretation was never passed on to her. Rakhi becomes obsessed with ancient history, rather than tackling the problem at hand, "this has always been my short coming. My mother dreams and I paint - because dreams look to the future, and paintings try to preserve the past."

Packed with absolutely gorgeous prose poetry, Divakaruni effectively weaves the colourful, mysterious dream world through Rakhi's life. And much of the narrative reads like a rich, sumptuous painting with phrases such as: "his plated green skin shone like rainwater on banana plants in the garden plot," and "A clear, full light tinged with coastal purples."

All the characters register the shock and horror of September 11th, but nothing prepares them for the actions of a few racists and bigots who are fuelled with hatred and anger. How Rakhi and her family and friends handle this incident is a testament to their fortitude and inner strength. The immigrant experience resonates throughout this work: Mrs. Gupta doesn't talk about the past like so many immigrants do, she didn't want to be like those other mothers, "splitting Rakhi between here and there, between her life right now and that which can never be." Mike Leonard February 05.