Before We Visit the Goddess

"Before We Visit the Goddess" by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni is a beautifully layered novel that spans continents and generations, chronicling the lives of Sabitri, Bela, and Tara—three Indian women connected by blood but separated by time, geography, and unspoken desires. Set between India and the United States, the story reveals how each woman grapples with choices shaped by love, ambition, tradition, and cultural displacement. Sabitri is a determined matriarch with dreams of education; Bela, her daughter, rebels and migrates to the U.S.; and Tara, the granddaughter, searches for belonging amid broken ties. As their journeys unfold in parallel, Divakaruni weaves a tender narrative about maternal bonds, resilience, and the quiet inheritance of strength passed from one generation to the next. With elegant prose and emotional depth, "Before We Visit the Goddess" is a poignant exploration of womanhood, identity, and the complex paths we take to define our lives.