A compelling travelogue that earnestly maps a traveler’s heart and soul.
An American woman coping with physical and emotional distress delves deeper into her Indian heritage and yoga practice in an effort to find true balance.
At this point, the tale of a single Westerner hoping to find herself by journeying to faraway India probably qualifies as a literary cliché. But Mitra’s lyrical mix of devotion and critical analysis is truly revelatory. As she tells the story of her commitment to earnestly pursuing the eight limbs of Patanjali’s Ashtanga yoga in her ancestral homeland, she never runs away from the doubt that tugs at her analytical mind. Her book also tells a sympathetic story of a young, intelligent woman actively battling her own stinging depression and chronic pain. Although she fully opens herself to the spiritual, she also fearlessly questions some of the most basic traditions of Eastern thought. Detachment, for example, is a tall order for a young woman yearning for a family, and gurus can sometimes get in the way of true insight. Mitra also doesn’t tolerate the sexism and misogyny that exist in the gutters on the road to enlightenment—realities that make traveling alone in India sound like a nightmare for women. The author tells of how she was instructed how to dress before venturing out into public in India: “It’s funny until you have to dress in that custom every day without respite to protect yourself from men’s inability to control themselves and society’s lack of expectation for them to do so, if tempted.” That tension that Mitra experiences while pursuing spiritual practice creates a compelling narrative. The book also provides real insight into the essence of yogic teachings. Overall, the fact that Mitra is able to overcome her obstacles is truly uplifting and makes for an inspirational journey.
A compelling travelogue that earnestly maps a traveler’s heart and soul.Pub Date: Sept. 15, 2014
ISBN: 978-0996087605
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Dancing Tree Books
Review Posted Online: Sept. 9, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2014
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)
Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996
ISBN: 0-15-100227-4
Page Count: 136
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An extravaganza in Bemelmans' inimitable vein, but written almost dead pan, with sly, amusing, sometimes biting undertones, breaking through. For Bemelmans was "the man who came to cocktails". And his hostess was Lady Mendl (Elsie de Wolfe), arbiter of American decorating taste over a generation. Lady Mendl was an incredible person,- self-made in proper American tradition on the one hand, for she had been haunted by the poverty of her childhood, and the years of struggle up from its ugliness,- until she became synonymous with the exotic, exquisite, worshipper at beauty's whrine. Bemelmans draws a portrait in extremes, through apt descriptions, through hilarious anecdote, through surprisingly sympathetic and understanding bits of appreciation. The scene shifts from Hollywood to the home she loved the best in Versailles. One meets in passing a vast roster of famous figures of the international and artistic set. And always one feels Bemelmans, slightly offstage, observing, recording, commenting, illustrated.
Pub Date: Feb. 23, 1955
ISBN: 0670717797
Page Count: -
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1955
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