Bharati Mukherjee
Bharati Mukherjee was an Indian-born American writer who is best known for her novels and short stories exploring the immigrant experience, identity, and the concept of home. Her notable works include 'Jasmine', 'The Middleman and Other Stories', and 'Desirable Daughters'. Mukherjee's writing often reflects her own experiences of migration and cultural transition, having moved from India to the United States. She was a prominent figure in contemporary literature and contributed significantly to the discourse on diaspora and multiculturalism.
Books
This list of books are ONLY the books that have been ranked on the lists that are aggregated on this site. This is not a comprehensive list of all books by this author.
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1. Holder of the World: A Novel
The novel explores the life of Hannah Easton, a woman born in 17th century Salem, who gets married to a British adventurer and travels to India. In India, she becomes the concubine of a local ruler and takes on the name "The Holder of the World". The story is narrated by a 20th-century woman who discovers Hannah's story through a virtual reality device. The narrative weaves together the historical and the contemporary, the East and the West, and the real and the virtual, to create a rich tapestry of a woman's life and the cultural clashes she experiences.
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2. Jasmine
The novel follows the journey of a strong-willed Indian woman who, after being widowed in a tragic explosion, reinvents herself numerous times in the face of adversity. She leaves her village in Punjab for the United States, where she navigates the complexities of immigration and identity. As she moves from Florida to Manhattan to Iowa, adopting different names and personas along the way, she confronts the challenges of assimilation and the pull of her cultural heritage, all while seeking the American Dream and striving to maintain her independence and self-worth in a rapidly changing world.
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3. Wife
The novel explores the complexities of an arranged marriage through the eyes of a young Indian woman who relocates to New York City after marrying a man she barely knows. Thrust into a foreign culture, she struggles with her identity and the expectations placed upon her as a wife. As she navigates her new life, she faces the challenges of isolation and the pressures of traditional roles, which ultimately lead to a dramatic transformation in her character and worldview. Her journey is a poignant examination of the immigrant experience, the clash of cultures, and the personal quest for self-realization amidst societal constraints.
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4. The Middleman and Other Stories
"The Middleman and Other Stories" is a collection of 11 short stories that explore the themes of cultural clashes, immigration, and the American Dream. The characters are immigrants from various parts of the world, including the Middle East, the Caribbean, and Asia, who are trying to navigate their new lives in America. The stories delve into the struggles, dreams, and realities of these immigrants, offering a unique perspective on multicultural America.
