Summary:
Two cousins born on the same day grow to love each other as sisters. Sudha is beautiful, Anju is not. When both are pushed into arranged marriages, each discovers a devastating secret that changes their relationship forever. The first book spans many years and zigzags from Calcutta to America and back.

In the sequel, Anju and her husband, Sunil, settle in the Bay area where they eagerly await the birth of their son. When Anju miscarries, she summons Sudha, still in India, to her side. Sudha comes despite her misgivings, knowing that Sunil always desired her more than he did his own wife. Her own infant daughter brings more relationship "trauma" as she bonds with Sunil.

Publisher's Weekly says Divakaruni's writing is "poetic, bewitching, observant and compassionate . . . a remarkable gift for intertwining romance with insights into the harsh realities of women's lives."

I would recommend these books!

Why?
Each book stands on its own. They really show people caught in a clash of cultures, and the rewards (and perils) of breaking free from the past. The characters are so well drawn - no one is totally blameless, but you care for them all.