"Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni is an award-winning Indian-American novelist, poet and professor of creative writing at the University of Houston. Her works, including The Mistress of Spices, The Palace of Illusions and Sister of My Heart, explore the complex experiences of South Asian women, history, magical realism and mythology. A recipient of multiple literary awards, Divakaruni was included in The Economic Times' List of 20 Most Influential Global Indian Women. She has also been an activist in the fields of education and domestic violence. Divakaruni lives in Houston with her husband Murthy."