Title: The Mistress of Spices
Author: Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
Genre: Fantasy, Fiction, Magic Realism
Publication Date: February 17, 1997
Review Date: March 14, 2021
Number of Pages: 338 (paperback)
My Rating: 3.5/5
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Book Blurb of The Mistress of Spices:
Magical, tantalizing, and sensual, The Mistress of Spices is 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 Spices is a tale of joy and sorrow and one special woman’s magical powers.
Book Review of The Mistress of Spices:
An evocative, beautifully written book that I don’t even know how to begin reviewing. Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni has previously woven magic with Palace of Illusions, which I just loved so much. So I went into this with high expectations already, and for the most part it lived up. I’d still say Palace of Illusions is better, but that doesn’t make this one bad – I’m just holding it to a super high standard, which probably isn’t fair to the book, honestly.
Tilo goes by many names, and currently, in the body of an old lady, she helps make people’s everyday lives a little better, a little happier. She, an ordained Mistress of Spices, has the ability to harness the subtle magic of the spices and help people by matching them with the right spice that they need at that time in their lives. Magic in the everyday; but also in a whole different magical world where Tilo came from, before she traveled through time and space, to come set up a little shop in Oakland – this book combines them both beautifully.
Raven was a point of confusion in this book, I wasn’t sure he added much value except as a foil in certain ways, but maybe I’m just not seeing what the author wanted me to see? I understand he’s also magical in his own way, and his presence lets her blossom into something more than she dared hope, but somehow I wanted more. Apart from that, secondary characters don’t particularly stand out, but serve their purpose within the story.
My feelings about the ending are indeterminable, and I can’t truly say I would have preferred a different ending, because I’m not sure what that would be. Just the way I felt about Raven, I wanted something more. What, I cannot say. Just more.
Overall, I did like the book, in large part due to it being magical realism. I did like Tilo, and her many names and attributes, and fiery personality. Read this for her.
