Florida Center for the Literary Arts at Miami Dade College

Join us as the Florida Center for the Literary Arts at Miami Dade College co-presents with



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Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
Friday, March 14, 2008 at 8 p.m.
Books & Books, 265 Aragon Ave., Coral Gables, FL

Relevant to today’s war-torn world, Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni’s The Palace of Illusions (Doubleday, $23.95) takes us back to the time of the Indian epic The Mahabharat—a time that is half-history, half-myth, and wholly magical. Through her narrator Panchaali, the wife of the legendary five Pandavas brothers, Divakaruni gives us a rare feminist interpretation of an epic story. The novel traces Panchaali's life, beginning with her magical birth in fire as the daughter of a king before following her spirited balancing act as a woman with five husbands who have been cheated out of their father’s kingdom. Panchaali is swept into their quest to reclaim their birthright, remaining at the brothers’ sides through years of exile and a terrible civil war. Meanwhile, we never lose sight of her stratagems to take over control of her household from her mother-in-law, her complicated friendship with the enigmatic Krishna, or her secret attraction to the mysterious man who is her husbands' most dangerous enemy. Panchaali is a fiery female voice in a world of warriors, gods, and ever-manipulating hands of fate.
Presented in collaboration with Books & Books.

Free and open to the public.


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Christopher Rice
Sunday, March 16, 2008 at 6 p.m.
Books & Books, 265 Aragon Ave., Coral Gables, FL

From three-time New York Times bestselling author Christopher Rice -- whose novels have been called "bold and ambitious" by The New York Times, "chillingly perverse" by USA Today, and "shocking, sexy...intricate" by Glamour -- comes this startling psychological thriller about an Iraq War vet who seeks redemption and revenge when a fellow Marine he failed to protect during the war is brutally murdered. Blind Fall (Scribner, $26) is a story of honor and integrity, of turning failure into victory. It is a stunning departure for Rice: the story of two men, one a Marine, one gay, who must unite to avenge the death of the man they both loved -- one as a brother-in-arms, one as a lover -- and to survive.
Presented in collaboration with Books & Books.

Free and open to the public.


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Jodi Picoult
Tuesday, March 18, 2008 at 8 p.m.
Books & Books, 265 Aragon Ave., Coral Gables, FL

One moment June Nealon was happily looking forward to years full of laughter and adventure with her family, and the next, she was staring into a future that was as empty as her heart. Now her life is a waiting game. For Shay Bourne, life holds no more surprises. The world has given him nothing, and he has nothing to offer the world. In a heartbeat, though, something happens that changes everything for him. Now, he has one last chance for salvation, and it lies with June's eleven-year-old daughter, Claire. But between Shay and Claire stretches an ocean of bitter regrets, past crimes, and the rage of a mother who has lost her child. Would you give up your vengeance against someone you hate if it meant saving someone you love? Would you want your dreams to come true if it meant granting your enemy's dying wish? Once again, Jodi Picoult mesmerizes and enthralls readers with Change of Heart (Atria, $26.95), a story of redemption, justice and love.
Presented in collaboration with Books & Books.

Free and open to the public.