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" I was caught on the freeway for hours when Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans. The entire city had to be evacuated. I observed lives threatened by catastrophes and a whole range of behaviour. What could people do during a crisis? "

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" I wrote 'Mistress of Spices' at an unusual time when I had a near-death experience after the birth of my second son. "

Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

Son

Experience

Birth

" I came into Chicago in winter - I'd never been so cold in my life! I was very homesick, and a poor student at that time. America seemed so different and so filled with amazing things - and almost all of them were out of my reach. "

Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

Amazing

Time

America

" Perhaps what distinguishes my characters is their courage and spirit and a certain stubbornness which enables them to keep going even when facing a setback. I think this developed organically as I wrote, but also it came out of a desire to portray women as powerful and intelligent forces in the world. "

Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

Courage

Keep Going

Powerful

" A kshatriya woman's highest purpose in life is to support the warriors in her life: her father, brother, husband and sons. "

Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

Woman

Brother

Support

" Strong women, when respected, make the whole society stronger. One must be careful with such rapid changes, though, and make an effort to preserve, at the same time, the positive traditions of Indian culture. "

Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

Strong

Women

Time

" I write in my study, where I also have my prayer altar. I believe that keeps me focused and gives me positive energy and reminds me that I'm merely the instrument of greater creative forces. "

Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

Energy

Positive

" I write best late at night, when everyone in the house has gone to bed. There's something magical about that late night silence that appeals to me. "

Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

Best

House

Late

" I came from a traditional family, and it was an exciting but challenging transition to move to America and live on my own. The world around me was suddenly so different. "

Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

America

My Own

Family

" I find that it's really important for me to imagine characters and situations. That allows me a lot of freedom. "

Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

Imagine

Find

Freedom

" I started writing after the death of my grandfather - memories, poems, etc. It was very personal; for years I did not share my writing with anyone. "

Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

Death

Writing

Memories

" I like being myself. Maybe just slimmer, with a few less wrinkles. "

Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

Myself

Wrinkles

" I have been watching how Indian women are forced to do certain things, as the stories of sacrifice and devotion in mythology demand from them. And then there are inspiring stories about women like the Rani of Jhansi that offer women refreshing role models. "

Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

Devotion

Women

Watching

" I feel I can express the nuances of the Bengali lifestyle and ways of thinking better than other cultures. "

Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

Thinking

Lifestyle

I Can

" When I was volunteering with Hurricane Katrina refugees in Houston in 2005, I first started thinking about the whole phenomenon of grace under pressure. "

Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

Grace

Hurricane

Pressure

" As I lived on in America, I got to truly know the people of this country - so many kind and wonderful people, people of so many races - who helped me in so many ways. Who became my friends. I realized that underneath our different accents, habits, foods, religions, ways of thinking, we shared a common humanity. "

Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

Friends

America

" My favorite part was when my grandfather and I would make a special trip to Firpo's Bakery for red and green Christmas cookies and fruitcake studded with the sweetest cherries I've ever tasted. Usually Firpo's was too expensive for our slim budget, but Christmas mornings they gave a discount to any children who came in. "

Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

Green

Children

Red

" I started putting down my thoughts on paper out of loneliness while I was studying in America. I was very close to my grandfather, and when he died, I couldn't visit home. I started scribbling those thoughts. "

Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

America

Loneliness

Thoughts

" I was about 12 when I first encountered 'The Moonstone' - or a Classics Illustrated version of it - digging through an old trunk in my grandfather's house on a rainy Bengali afternoon. "

Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

Through

Old

First

" My grandfather was a very strong personality. He certainly ruled his household with an iron fist, even though it was often gloved in velvet! "

Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

Grandfather

Personality

Strong

" The ancient world is always accessible, no matter what culture you come from. I remember when I was growing up in India and I read the 'Iliad' and the 'Odyssey.' "

Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

Remember

Culture

" I took a little break after 'The Palace of Illusions' to clear my head. "

Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

Palace

Break

Clear

" It's different for different people, and for a woman it's important to look as good she wants to look. But you don't need to do it for someone else or to impress some male out there. You do it for your own sake. You wear what makes you feel good, you put make-up and jewellery - whatever gives you self-confidence. "

Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

Look

Good

People

" I am a Hindu, brought up mostly in India. "

Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

India

Hindu

" I was very fortunate that all my holidays I'd spend with my grandfather, experiencing a much more traditional way of life and listening to these wonderful stories, which I now feel are such an important part of Indian thinking. "

Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

Life

Holidays

Listening