Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni is the author of the bestselling novels The Mistress of Spices, Sister of My Heart, and The Vine of Desire; the prize-winning story collections Arranged Marriage and The Unknown Errors of Our Lives; and four acclaimed volumes of poetry. Her work has appeared in The New Yorker, The Atlantic Monthly, Ms., Zoetrope, Good Housekeeping, O: The Oprah Magazine, The Best American Short Stories, The O’Henry Prize Stories and The New York Times. She teaches creative writing at the University of Houston and divides her time between Houston and the San Francisco area. Her Web site is www.chitradivakaruni.com.