Indian Books

I was thrilled to have the opportunity to review Indu Sundaresan's new book In the Convent of Little Flowers. She writes her new book with the same prose and sincerity that I have come to attribute her with. I have been hooked from the time of The Twentieth Wife, one of her earlier novels, and was looking forward to her latest work, and Ms. Sundaresan delivers again!

In this wonderful collection of nine short stories we are introduced to a variety of modern-day and mythical characters that range from being inextricably entrenched in age-old Indian traditions and ancient beliefs, to the other extreme of nonconformist Indians. I found it interesting that Ms. Sundaresan drew from real life experiences and discussions in writing these stories. All authors are inspired by various means, but when the basis of a story has true life ties it makes for a more intriguing read.

First we meet an orphan, adopted by an American couple, who as an adult living in Seattle receives a letter from the nun that runs the orphanage revealing that she is her Aunt, and that her biological Mother lies dying surrounded by her husband and legitimate children. The story of four and half seconds unravels in a unique manner, and is by far my favourite; it is the poignant tale of an elderly couple who take desperate measures in dealing with the mistreatment of an ungrateful son. In the story of a sati, we feel the desperation of a man who attempts to stop the burning alive of a young widowed girl on the funeral pyre of her husband. Then there's the one of two married women with strong attractions toward one another, who are compelled to leave their respective marriages for a life together in a society that even today does not openly condone homosexuality. In keeping with the unorthodox theme is the tale of a swingers club, in which a group of married socialite couples agree to meet up regularly and swap partners for the night in a posh hotel.

With each story Ms. Sundaresan is able to engage her reader almost immediately and unfold an entirely different idea within a short span of pages. In some cases I was left wanting more.

This book comes highly recommended!

I am a huge fan of Indu Sundaresan's work. She has written three historical fiction novels; two are about Empress Nur Jahan (The Twentieth Wife and The Feast of Roses) and one is set in India during World War II and the Indian independence movement (The Splendor of Silence). All three are wonderfully written novels that any fan of historical fiction should pick up immediately.

When I heard that Ms. Sundaresan had a short story collection coming out, I eagerly sought the chance to obtain a review copy and was thrilled to receive one. I didn't know what to expect, but I knew that they would be amazing stories. And I was right; the stories are very different from her historical fiction work, but they evoke the same emotion within the reader.

The stories in In the Convent of Little Flowers are simply written and utterly beautiful. Some are very emotional; others are horrific (after reading the story about a son who is abusive to his mother and father, I called my own parents immediately, in tears). Each has its own quality that recommends itself to the reader. As such, there is not one bad story among them, not one lesser tale. That is quite a feat for an author, to write stories of such depth and magnitude that they are all equally moving.

All of the stories are about Indians. The majority of them are set in India, though not all. There are classic stories that people of any culture can relate to, stories about love lost between a husband and wife. But there are also stories that are appalling, that make the reader want to weep - the tale of bride burning is one of these. Each story has its own force that propels it forward. Not once did I want to put down the book, to move onto something else. Usually, I read other novels between the breaks in short stories. That wasn't the case with In the Convent of Little Flowers; I just wanted to continue with the stories, to see what Sundaresan would come up with next. With many of the stories, I wanted more. I would love to see some of them fleshed out as full novels, especially the tale of Padma and her feelings about the truth of her adoption.

I highly recommend all of Indu Sundaresan's work, and In the Convent of Little Flowers is no exception. It is a beautiful and moving set of short stories that I think anyone would enjoy.

Thank you to Ms. Sundaresan and her publicist for sending me a copy of this book to review.

Indu Sunderesan's new book, "In the Convent of Little Flowers," is a collection of short stories set in a more contemporary time than her previous works. Set mostly in India, the stories touch on topics still somewhat taboo to mention or acknowledge in Indian society. The writing style is so vivid, it makes you feel as if you are a part of the story and you end up thinking about the events long after you have put the book away. I would recommend this book unreservedly and look forward to her next one.

Biggers book of experiences living in a Tarahumara village capture the many nuances of life here in the Sierra. His writing has a good, readable style and is fun to boot. His tangents although sometimes distracting are always informative and frequently educational. Biggers is to be respected for not naming the village where he lived but he provides more than enough clues to figure out the location. Although not a general travel book, Biggers book is a must-read for anyone wanting a true and enjoyable insight into the Tarahumara style of living.

In the Sierra Madre is one of the best travel memoirs I've read in years. It's a real page turner. I couldn't put it down. Situated in Mexico's Copper Canyon, author Jeff Biggers traverses the legendary canyons of the native Raramuri or Tarahumara, while weaving in the history of centuries of travelers, including some unforgettable characters like writer/adventurer Frederick Schwatka, George S. Patton and Black Jack Pershing, an Irish lord and his African American mistress, etc etc. Biggers is funny, informed, and his pages move from story to story. And of course, the fabulous tale of The Treasure of the Sierra Madre always lurks in the background. This is a great book and makes me want to travel to Copper Canyon. By the way, Biggers in person is also quite a raconteur. Should he come to town, don't hesitate to see his performance.

Since I made the train journey up to Copper Canyon, I bought this book and felt like I re-lived the trip, and then another I wished I had made. This is a wonderful, moving, often poetic, memoir of an American's year-long sojourn in a Tarahumara (he uses the traditional name, Raramuri) Indian village. The writing, however, never falls into any anthropological notes. Biggers moves back and forth from his own experiences in his adopted village, where he chops wood with the local lumberjacks and plants corn and weathers the worst drought in the region's history, and the often hilarious adventures of famous travelers who have made their own foray into the canyons. The book's range is fantastic: characters like French poet Artaud, black West Point cadet Henry Flipper, a young George S. Patton, and a Russian sailor--to name only a few--pepper the stories like characters from a great drama. Jeff Biggers, who is the author of a book on Appalachia, is that chatty companion you wished you had along for the journey, someone who knows world literature and history as well as he knows the intimate details of the local canyons and people, and someone who loves to mix the two. Biggers writes about the ups and downs of tourism in Mexico's famed Copper Canyon by spinning a tale of a modern-day tragicomedy based on the Greek Antigone; he discusses the plight of logging by recalling a poem by Scottish bard Robert Burns and the Scottish debacle at Darien.

I'd recommend this to anyone planning a trip to Copper Canyon, or those armchair travelers who love their world history written through a great journey.

This very short and simple tale tells the story of a young rabbit who decides one day that he wished to be Indian (Native American). What follows isn't a story of what actually happens, but about what the bunny imagines will take place when he become an Indian Bunny. Despite what some would consider a politically incorect titile, INDIAN BUNNY is a sweet story that young chilren enjoy and instills in them a small amount of respect for cultures other than their own.

A very pro-native American (and pro-Pagan) introduction for the very young. A terrific early exposure that will instill positive images of alternative religions and lifestyles.

This was my first and favorite book in the world! It is a simply written and illustrated tale of a bunny who decides, one day, that he wishes to be an Indian. His story unfolds accordingly, along the banks of streams, and in fields and trees where he meets and befriends sacred animals and practices the ancient ways. The beauty of the story is its simplicity and profound sense of respect and mystery. It is a gentle spiritual quest suitable for even the youngest children or early readers. I still love it!

needed this book for a class at my university on indigenous people of north america; can't tell you how many times i wanted to cry and laugh and scream at the same time. it is a translation of a primary document, a piece of history that many do not see. we only hear one side of the story; columbus'. this puts that 'HIS-story' to the test and unfortunately, columbus fails. diego colon's story tells us what really went on when those ships landed.

as i first opened the book and read the basis of where the data was aquired i was awestruck and knew that i was not only going to read this book but live it through the eyes of my parents and of their parents before them . you cannot help but feel the agony as diego recalls the events that he has witnessed throughout his life both those of curiousity for these strange men and the terror the and destruction they leave in their wake . but human beings from all races have in them an indomitable will to survive , and in this book you will witness that and say a prayer to whatever power you happen to believe in . Thank GOD .

Barreiro has done the History lover a favor by making this work possible for those of us who would like to look at the past in a more realistic sense. Of course, traditional History is important, but consider the untold stories that would be missed, like the Indian Chronicles, if all we concentrated on were eurocentric views of a non-euro world. Diego, a character as much modern as historical, finds himself caught between two worlds, the one of his Taino heritage, and the one of the new European world that came with Columbus. What is rather interesting about this book comes from the personalization of the disease, the evil, the corruptness, and the filth that came with civilization, referring to Europe's conquest of the "uncivilized" world. In our modern age, we may look at the past in a nostalgic yearning, but perhaps we should look back farther, as Diego said of his people, where the attitude of humanity was to see the seeds in rotten fruit, not just rotten fruit, or a view more nature oriented than gold oriented, or in our day and age, stocks and bonds oriented. In the Indian Chronicles, we see man's last effort, or one of them, at resistence towards mass assimilation and dehumanation through the eyes of Indian guerillas fighting a lost cause against the growing number of Castillas or incoming Spaniards, different kinds of animals, the type that would have slaves carry back-breaking quanitities of water to a sugar cane field and ignore the irrigation ditches that the natives, "uncivilized" natives, had built long ago, beating the slave for collapsing, while the answer is at his feet. Good book, good read, one of the best quite possibly.

A wonderful read...informative.Photographs are ready for framing. Definitely will inspire you to begin to collect Indian clubs. As stated by Gerard Wertkin, Director, Museum of American Folk Art, "(Alice Hoffman) has recovered an all but forgotten subchapter in the history of American sport and, at the same time, helped us appreciate another aspect of American artistic creativity. Hats off to her!" I agree with Mr. Wertkin and the following reviews: Antiques & Auction News, "A colorful exercise in collecting,"..."documents the "life" of this colorful and practical form of exercise...a charming addition to any antiques library." Antique & Collectibles News Service, "Inside Antiques, Good Reading,"..."we love (this) book...a folk art gem." Antiques Review, "The Bookshelf,"..."Superb color photographs...Fascinating archival material." Denver Post, "What's Up,"..."If you're searching for the most unusual art book of the year don't overlook Indian Clubs." Maine Antiques Digest, "Books, Calendars, CD-ROMS,"..."a case for Indian clubs as folk art." The Star Ledger, NJ, "A new life for Indian clubs,"..."new coffee table book...If TV infomercials had been around in their heyday, chances are the physical fitness mavens of the day would have been pitching Indian clubs in the same way abs machines and treadmills are endlessly hawked now."

Excellent resource for serious collectors and the curious. Photographs are inspirational. Can't wait to start my own collection. Historical information very comprehensive. Good read as well as informative.

Alice Hoffman has uncovered a forgotten piece of American history and inspired me to begin collecting Indian clubs. Hoffman has written an informative book complete with stunning photographs and personal reflections.

Indian clubs now prized for their sculptural, artistic merits were once a must for every man, women, and child who hoped to obtain physical and spiritual well-being in the late 19th, early 20th century.

It's amazing to learn that Indian clubs were once thought to be an exercise that would stand the test of time. Hoffman has shown they have, not as muscle builders but as a collectible.

If you're interested in learning something new and not afraid of becoming an Indian club collecting addict as I have since reading this book, I suggest you order Indian Clubs today.

An important book by India's greatest living journalist.

The author's views on the babri mosque dispute proved to be prophetic. "will the mosque stand?" he asks, and replies that not unless Indian politics, discourse and judicial dilly-dallying change. I recommend this book to all those intrested in understanding the politics of identity obtaining in contemporary India. Though most of the essays in the book seem to have been written almost a decade ago, they are as relevant today as they were first written.

This is considered a celebrated work of Arun Shourie, and is a collection of essays and articles he wrote over the years, on topics ranging from the Ayodhya dispute, Salman Rushdie, Shah Bano controversy, etc.. The writings on the Babri Masjid proved to be prophetic, and articulate very cogently the reasons and frustrations that led to the mosque's destruction. Personally, I found the best chapter to be the one on Muslim personal law, titled 'Your Wives Are your Fields...'. This chapter outlines the present status of Muslim Personal law, the outlook of the courts and the absence of any leeway that courts have in interpreting it, the reasons behind such a mindset. Srun Shourie then proceeds to explain in detail why such positions are not justified or explanable in any way. This particular chapter is a must read. A must read book.

A long time ago in the mid 1980s, when I didn't have grey hair or a bald spot and was a young man, I had a job in Manhattan in one of the largest publishing houses in the United States. I worked in a department called Subsidiary Rights, which handled foreign rights, first and second serial rights, large print, book club sales and other not-commonly discussed aspects of the publishing business. One of my perks on this job was that I had almost unlimited access to copies of books that my company published, and I had contacts in over forty other publishing companies. So me, being a little peon with a $13,700 per year salary, decided to start swapping books with other little peons in other companies. I developed a very large library of free books this way, and I love books.

One day one of my contacts at another pub house (I think it was Random House), calls me up on the phone and says, "Hey, I just messengered a book over to your attention. I think you'd like it."

Indian Country, by Philip Caputo.

I've never heard of Caputo, and I haven't much interest in Indians.

I get the book and take it home. That night I start reading it. And I am immediately gripped and held fast until the wee hours of the morning. I read that book in less than three days.

And then I read it again.

I'm going to spare you the New York Times Review of Books editorial on this novel. I will just say this: The time this book went out of print is a crime against brilliant writing and stellar storytelling. I don't care if you're not much interested in the Vietnam war, or life in Michigan (or wherever it takes place). This is a spectacular novel, and it is a crime that so few people know about it.

I am utterly delighted that it is back in print. More people should read books like this. The writing is masterly, the story profound and no less humane in aspect than To Kill A Mockingbird.

I have read enough novels in my life to break the suspension on a Chevy 4X4 pickup.

There are precious few that have reduced me to tears. This is one of them.

It's been years since I first read Phillip Caputo's "Indian Country", but I still remember it very well. It's the kind of story that really stays with you - the troubled Vietnam combat vet dealing with flashbacks and terrible memories, the earthy, loving, loyal wife struggling to understand, and the child at the center of this volatile family.
It is a wonderful book, deeply moving and emotional, and has the ring of truth. I was moved to tears several times in the reading of this novel and I heartily recommend it to anyone who is in search of something meaningful to read. If you're looking for simple, escapist fiction, this is not the book for you. Read "Indian Country" and it will stay with you for the rest of your life.

This is an extraordinarily good read. The character development is complex, non-patronising, well researched, and above all entertaining.
This is not a light action read by any stretch of the imagination. Rather a detailed look at the complexity of human relationships including the hope, the joy, the intentional, and more often unintentional pain that these combined with unavoidable, cataclysmic events evoke.
Philip deals sensitively, and sometimes brusqely, with interracial issues (in this case particularly native Indian, but also Scandinavian), the whole pre- and post-Vietnam thing (from a sometimes scarily detailed perspective), marriage, work, intimate friendships, and the remote lifestyle of the logging industry in Northern USA.
I found the end simply mind blowing and would recommend this book to anyone who has thought seriously about their own sanity, who has served in the Forces whether or not they agreed with their country's ideology, who has hurt or been hurt by someone. Of course, if you don't fit into the above categories, you probably haven't lived :o)
It was a pleasant change from the hackneyed descriptions that plague so many of our current best selling authors. I guess this book isn't a best seller simply because it strikes so close to home.
If you read nothing else this year, get this book!

Illustrated throughout with high-quality color photographs of its dishes, Indian Flavor presents 80 recipes for traditional Indian cuisine, from rice pulao dishes, tandoori lamb chops, and coconut fish to naan and other flatbreads, barbecued tricolor cheese, and so much more. What distinguishes Indian Flavor is not only its capture of mouth-watering spice combinat-ions, but also the author's careful incorporation of healthier ingredients such as yogurt and soy products for more nutritious and less fattening food preparation. An enthralling, zesty, and simple-to-follow cookbook for anyone interested in trying their hand at capturing the memorable flavors of India.

I highly recommend this cookbook! The recipe are delicious and not too difficult.

Indian cooking has been gaining popularity around the globe due to its exotic flavors and healthful preparations.Indian cuisine is diverse and has very wholesome tastes designed to satisfy not only the taste buds but also the human physiology.This book is a great teacher of Indian food.The amount of effort put into this book is extraordinary.The recipes are very authentic and are a testament to simple ingredients producing sublime tastes.The instructions are clear,easy to follow and one can get a good idea of how to cook Indian food from this book.Jeeti Gandhi gives a great background information and ingredient information.The pictures in themselves are a gastronomical delight.I have always believed that eating is one of life's pleasures and the recipes in this book let you indulge in this pleasure while staying healthy.

I have used this book to instruct boy scouts in Native American and early New England craft with great success. The broad range of projects can easily provide you with a year's worth of activities that fit perfectly within the scouting program. The sketches and instuctions are easy to follow and the required materials are not expensive.

Indian Handcrafts by C. Keith Wilbur is a great primer for people who actually want to MAKE items in the manner that native Americans. There are countless illustrations in here showing you exactly what the item looks like - in many cases drawn direction from historical artifacts located in museums (which are named). So if you really want to go see the arrowhead, or the rubbing stick, you can literally take a trip out to the named museum and see the actual artifact for yourself.

It's important to note that while this book simply claims to have "Indian Handcrafts", they are ALL from the northeast US area - primarily Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island. This isn't a bad thing at all, but they should more clearly identify that on the front of the book. There are a ton of crafts NOT mentioned in here, because they weren't practiced by the tribes in this area. Also, for example when they talk about gardening like a native, and list out the foods that you should grow, the list is: corn, beans, pumpkins, squash, jerusalem artichokes, ground cherries, gourds and tobacco. This is a great list for Massachusetts, and certainly *similar* to what they grew in Florida or Arizona, but it is again important to know that this is a regional summary.

The book is good about both providing a "super 100% authentic" way of doing things - but also giving you shortcuts if you wish. As the author notes, native Americans were very quick to adapt new technologies when they encountered them. When they met up with people who had easy access to metal, they took those metals and melted them down rather than going through the labor intensive trouble of making their own metals from scratch. When they met up with people who had pretty glass beads, they didn't spend weeks and weeks hand grinding stones down into bead shapes. So in the same manner, sure, you are provided with instructions for hand making dyes from plants and flowers. But if you want, you can also use commercial dyes. This is not really "cheating" - it is efficient, and the natives were efficient where they had access to those supplies.

The book is also cautious in its environmental impact. Yes, the natives would strip birch bark off of trees to use it for various crafts. However, in modern times we do not have huge forests of birch - and stripping off birch bark would kill the trees. We can't afford to kill off trees just for "fun crafts". The author gives you ways to get your hands on the ingredients in a more environmentally friendly manner.

Keith was apparently 67 when he published this book in 1990, and you can see his lifetime of research clearly here. He talks about the different ways he practiced making stone tools, tried carving out canoes, and much more. This is a man who actually learned how to do these crafts and is now sharing his knowledge. I really appreciate that! The drawings are very detailed. I still wish, though, that they used a "regular font" for reading, instead of the calligraphy-style handwriting which is sometimes hard to read - and I wish they included some photos. Drawings are great, but sometimes it is so much more helpful to see actual images of things.

Still, these are minor complaints about a treasure trove of knowledge. Whatever your reason for wanting to learn more about how native Americans lived, I highly recommend this book as a part of your library.

This book describes many of the material goods made by Native Americans, and gives the reader an intimate understanding of their construction. Each item is described, with drawings of museum-piece examples. Wilbur then describes how Native Americans made the item (drawing from eye-witness memoirs where possible), and finally describes ways to make reproductions using modern techniques. Really gives one an appreciation for iron. Ideal for a youngster interested in Indians (and what youngster isn't?)

I love this book. Bought another copy for a friend. Great service, good condition.

After ataking the class in Philadelphia,this offers information,that compliments class taken.It would also be good to have if interested in massage.

As a Massage Therapist, I work using the technique described in this book and also run courses in teaching the technique, I found this book a wonderful read, it is very simply laid out - beautifully presented and very easy to follow for both the practised practitioner and also for anyone interested in the art of massage for use on their loved ones.