Narrated by Panchaali, the wife of the five Pandava brothers, The Palace of Illusions finally gives a woman’s take on the timeless tale that is the Mahabharat. Tracing Panchaali’s life—from fiery birth and lonely childhood, where her beloved brother is her only companion; through her complicated friendship with the enigmatic Krishna; to marriage, motherhood and her secret attraction to the mysterious man who is her husbands’ most dangerous enemy—it’s a deeply human story about a woman born into a man’s world.

‘Divakaruni has given Draupadi a powerful voice.’—Outlook

‘Simple lucid, each word carefully considered as the heroine unfolds the different layers of the Mahabharat through conversations, stories and dreams.’—India Today

‘Read this poignantly told book for yourself. You won’t stand to hear Draupadi called a kritya ever again’—Hindustan Times

‘Divakaruni gives us a racy and romantic tale, the story of not just Draupadi and the god Krishna, nit also of the most tragic hero in the whole wide world—Karna.’—Shekhar Kapur