The Mistress of Spices

Magical, tantalizing, and sensual,The Mistress of Spicesis the story of Tilo, a young woman born in another time, in a faraway place, who is trained in the ancient art of spices and ordained as a mistress charged with special powers. Once fully initiated in a rite of fire, the now immortal Tilo--in the gnarled and arthritic body of an old woman--travels through time to Oakland, California, where she opens a shop from which she administers spices as curatives to her customers. An unexpected romance with a handsome stranger eventually forces her to choose between the supernatural life of an immortal and the vicissitudes of modern life. Spellbinding and hypnotizing,The Mistress of Spicesis a tale of joy and sorrow and one special woman's magical powers. Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, born in India, is an award-winning poet who teaches creative writing at Foothill College in Los Altos Hills, California, where she also serves as president of MAITRI, a helpline for South Asian women. In 1995 her short story collectionArranged Marriagewas awarded the PEN Oakland Josephine Miles Prize for Fiction, the Bay Area Book Reviewers Award for Fiction, and an American Book Award from the Before Columbus Foundation. Her fourth poetry collection,Leaving Yuba City,was published by Anchor in August 1997.

Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni is the bestselling author of the novels <b>Sister of My Heart</b><i> </i>and <b>The Mistress of Spices</b>; the story collections <b>The Unknown Errors of Our Lives</b><i> </i>and <b>Arranged Marriage</b><i>, </i>which received several awards, including the American Book Award; and four collections of prize-winning poetry. Her work has appeared in <i>The New Yorker, The Atlantic Monthly, Ms., Zoetrope, Good Housekeeping, O: The Oprah Magazine, The Best American Short Stories 1999, </i>and <i>The New York Times. </i>Born in India, Divakaruni lives near Houston.<br><br>For further information about Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, visit her Web site at www.chitradivakaruni.com.