Defying her culture and tradition, a successful, highly educated Tamil Brahmin woman writes a letter to a prominent American book publisher who—disillusioned with love in the Western world—advertises in an Indian newspaper for an arranged marriage. Her letter launches this book’s remarkable correspondence. What follows is an epistolary evaluation of compatibility, gender roles, love, and the way to find and keep a spiritually satisfying relationship. In this intimate exchange of more than 60 letters, they raise as many questions as they answer and reveal the secrets of sustaining a love that encompasses the mind, body, heart, and spirit. Deliciously funny and profoundly moving, this improbable love story may just change how you view relationships.

A Marriage Made in Heaven : A Love Story in Letters

Self-Help

Sperling, Vatsala

Sperling, Ehud C.

Relationships

Ten Speed Press+

The magical story of how Ganesh, the son of Shiva and Parvati, was brought back to life with the head of an elephant • The story of one of the most beloved characters in Indian lore, made accessible for Western children • Illustrated throughout with paintings from the classic Indian tradition Any Indian child can tell you how the beloved god Ganesh got his elephant’s head--now American children can know as well. For centuries Indian children have grown up hearing Ganesh’s story--how his mother, Parvati (an incarnation of the great mother goddess), created a small boy from sandalwood soap and commanded that he guard the palace against all intruders while she took her bath. How her husband, Shiva (the fearsome god of destruction), didn’t take kindly to being barred from his own home. How Shiva beheaded the boy during the cosmic war that followed, but then, when he realized that the balance of the entire universe was at stake, brought the boy back to life by grafting an elephant’s head onto his body and made him the people’s intercessor against the powers of destruction. Ganesh’s timeless story teaches children about the steadfast power of dedication to duty, the awe-inspiring power of a mother’s love for her child, and the gentle power of compassion, which holds the world together. Accompanied by rich, color illustrations prepared according to the traditional Hindu canon, How Ganesh Got His Elephant Head will transport children to a magical world filled with ancient wisdom.

How Ganesh Got His Elephant Head

Children's Books

JOHARI, HARISH

Literature & Fiction

Bear Cub Books

The magical story of how the princess Parvati opens the heart of her eternal husband Shiva • The courtship story of one of the central couples in Indian lore, Parvati and Shiva, made accessible for Western children • Illustrated throughout with paintings from the classic Indian tradition In the Hindu pantheon the great mother goddess Adishakti is the heavenly wife of Shiva, Lord of All Gods. Whenever Shiva or Adishakti come to Earth in human form, they are fated to marry each other again--but that’s no guarantee that all will go smoothly with their courtship. In this story Adishakti comes to Earth as the mountain princess Parvati, who has her work cut out for her when she tries to win the affections of Shiva. Shiva spends all his time meditating on a remote mountainside in the Himalayas and has no interest in marriage. Parvati washes his feet, wipes his brow, and lays sixteen offerings before him, but he won’t even look at her. Sage Narada advises her to invoke Shiva’s name--Om Namah Shivaya--over and over again as a mantra. So in the heat of the sun, in the driving rain, in snow up to her neck Parvati sits and repeats her beloved’s name until the focused power of her intent opens his heart and persuades him to ask for her hand in marriage. Parvati’s timeless story teaches children that with enough love and perseverance even the seemingly impossible can be achieved. Accompanied by rich, color illustrations prepared according to the traditional Hindu canon, How Parvati Won the Heart of Shiva will transport children to a magical world filled with ancient wisdom.

How Parvati Won the Heart of Shiva

Fairy Tales, Folk Tales & Myths

An illustrated version of the classic Hindu epic the Ramayana • Presents the famous Hindu epic retold for Western children ages 6 to 9 • Fully illustrated with full-color paintings in traditional Indian style Long ago, the story goes, the entire earth was overrun with demons. The ten-headed demon king Ravana had prayed to his grandfather, Lord Brahma, asking that he be granted immortality. And Brahma had granted his wish . . . almost. No god, demon, plant, or animal could harm Ravana, which allowed him to cause considerable damage as he and his demon army ransacked the earth. But Ravana was so scornful of humans he hadn’t bothered to ask for protection from them. This omission would prove to be his downfall. With cries for help rising from every corner of the earth, the heavenly gods, Lords Brahma, Shiva, and Vishnu, decided that something had to be done to rid the world of the rampaging demons and restore peace and order. They decided that Vishnu should be incarnated upon the earth in the form of the virtuous prince Ram. As a human prince, albeit one who had help from the gods, he would be able to defeat the demon king. In Ram the Demon Slayer, readers follow Ram from his conception and birth through his training with sages and first successful demon battles to his marriage to the beautiful princess Sita and his final triumphant victory over the demon king. This beautifully illustrated retelling of the Ramayana makes accessible to Western children and their parents one of the favorite heroes of the Hindu tradition.

Ram the Demon Slayer

Tells the adventures of the magical monkey Hanuman, beloved in India as the devoted helper of Ram, hero of the Hindu epic tale the Ramayana • Introduces Western children to one of the most playful and beloved characters of Hindu mythology • Illustrated throughout with full-color paintings in the traditional Indian style Son of the monkey princess Anjana and the wind god Pavan, Hanuman is born on Earth to be a helper for Ram, the hero of the Hindu epic the Ramayana. Hanuman is no ordinary monkey. He has the ability to leap higher than the sun and move faster than the wind. When the demon king Ravana kidnaps Ram’s wife, Sita, and carries her off to his island home, the army that goes to rescue her is left discouraged on the beach--stopped by the wide expanse of water between them and the island of Lanka. But magical Hanuman is able to jump over the ocean in one amazing bound. He finds the captive Sita and helps her to take heart and remain strong and confident that Ram will find a way to save her. And indeed Ram does, but only with the devoted assistance of his mercurial monkey helper. Hanuman shrinks to the size of a fly; grows large enough to uproot a huge tree as though it were a turnip; soars through the sky, setting the city of Lanka on fire with the tip of his tail; and digs up an entire mountain in order to deliver its healing herbs to Ram’s stricken army. This beautifully illustrated retelling of Hanuman’s story makes accessible to Western children and their parents one of the most playful and beloved characters of the Hindu tradition.

Hanuman's Journey to the Medicine Mountain

Features Karna, a brave and ambitious character from the epic Mahabharata, as famous for his generosity as for his skills with bow and arrow • Introduces children to one of the most colorful characters of Hindu mythology • Illustrated throughout with glowing full-color paintings in traditional Indian style • Speaks to the questions that arise for adoptive children and their parents When Princess Kunti is twelve years old she tries reciting a secret mantra for inviting the gods into her life. She gets more than she bargained for when the Sun, himself, swoops down out of the sky in a golden chariot and presents her with a baby. “Take him back,” she cries. “I’m not ready to be a mother!” But it’s too late; the Sun says the baby is her responsibility now. However, he points out the child’s golden earrings and the golden shield upon his chest and tells Kunti that as long he wears them, the child will be protected. Kunti tearfully puts the baby in a basket and sets him afloat on the river, where Adhiratha and Radha, a poor and childless couple, find him and take him in. Karna: The Greatest Archer in the World introduces the reader to the heroic but humanly flawed character of Karna, who grapples with issues of right and wrong, truth and lies, loyalty and abandonment. It tells how Radha helps her adoptive son, Karna, solve the mystery of his birth; how she and her husband give Karna the courage to follow his heart in the study of archery; how Karna faces his birth mother in the final days of his brief but brilliant life; and how his loyalty to a friend and his unparalleled generosity and sense of honor ultimately cause him to give his own life so that good may triumph over evil.

Karna: The Greatest Archer in the World

Tells how the Hindu goddess Ganga came to Earth as the Ganges River • Introduces children to one of the most beloved characters of Hindu mythology • Illustrated throughout with full-color paintings in traditional Indian style The Ganges River, which flows from the high reaches of the Himalayas all the way down to the Bay of Bengal, is sacred to the Hindu people, who consider it to be the earthly form of the goddess Ganga. The story of how Ganga was born, and how she became a river, tells of a journey from a place even higher than the Himalayan mountaintops--a journey from Heaven itself. Born in a pot of sacred water, the baby Ganga grows into a beautiful and lighthearted girl, the darling of Heaven. But one day her sense of humor gets her in trouble. When grumpy Sage Durvasa is caught in a whirlwind that blows his clothes right off him, Ganga makes the mistake of laughing at him. In a rage, the sage puts a curse on her: “You must go to Earth as a river!” Ganga is heartbroken and begs the sage to forgive her. He can’t take back the curse, but seeing that she is truly sorry, he gives her a blessing as well: her water will purify the souls of men, releasing them from sin. When Sage Baghirath prays to the gods to help him release the souls of his ancestors, Ganga comes tumbling from the sky and follows the sage across India, the river unfurling behind her. To this day millions of people take comfort in her healing waters, and Ganga, too, takes comfort in relieving their suffering.

Ganga: The River that Flows from Heaven to Earth

Features Krishna, one of the most beloved characters of the Hindu pantheon, a spirited naughty boy who grows up to save the world • Based on original stories from India adapted for Western children • Illustrated throughout with glowing full-color paintings in traditional Indian style Long, long ago, the world was overrun by terrible demons. Even the Earth goddess, Bhumi, was unable to protect the land. She appealed to Vishnu, God of Preservation, who agreed to be born on Earth as Krishna, to save the world from destruction. Krishna is part superhero, part mischievous boy, and tales of his exploits--from childish pranks to death-defying demon slayings to his enchantment of the milkmaids--have delighted Indian children for centuries. Like every child, Krishna tries to be good, but his irrepressible high spirits lead him into any number of mischievous escapades. In the end, though, all of his adventures lead to a happy conclusion. His mother, Yashoda, loves him no matter what he does, reminding us that children who get all the love they need grow up strong and brave and ready to save the world. The glowing illustrations, executed in transparent watercolors and tempera paints, are done in a centuries-old method traditional to India. Richly detailed, they bring to life the colorful cast of characters--humans, gods, and demons alike.

The Magical Adventures of Krishna: How a Mischief Maker Saved the World

A children’s story featuring Arjuna, a compassionate warrior who must choose between abstaining from battle or fulfilling his destiny to end the war • Based on the Mahabharata, the famous Indian epic, adapted for Western children • Illustrated throughout with glowing full-color paintings in traditional Indian style We are all born for a purpose, though sometimes it is not clear to us what it is. In this tale of good versus evil, cousin versus cousin, Prince Arjuna knew that his purpose, his dharma, was to fight in the battle against the greedy and cruel king Duryodhana. Yet his own relatives and friends were on the opposing side. With a lot of soul searching and divine advice from the god Krishna, Arjuna bravely chooses to fulfill his destiny as a warrior with compassion and kindness, restoring peace, justice, and prosperity to his kingdom. This adaptation for children of the classic epic the Mahabharata is beautifully illustrated with paintings created in a centuries-old method traditional to India. Richly detailed, the paintings bring to life the colorful cast of characters as well as Arjuna’s inner conflict and the trials he faces on the path of loyalty, justice, and peace.

Arjuna: The Gentle Warrior

Eight beautifully illustrated traditional stories that immerse the reader in the ancient culture of India as well as impart important life lessons • Shares classic tales from India, including stories drawn from the Mahabharata, the Ramayana, and the Puranas, translated by the authors • Illustrated throughout with glowing full-color paintings in traditional Indian style prepared according to the traditional Hindu canon With this full-color illustrated collection of classic tales from India, you will learn about the playful, loyal, strong, loving, and wise gods, goddesses, and heroes of India. You will discover how the deity Ganesh, the remover of obstacles, got his elephant head, how the goddess Parvati won the heart of the great god Shiva, and how the goddess Ganga came to Earth from Heaven in the form of the holy Ganges River. You will discover how Krishna’s childhood as superhero and mischievous boy prepared him to fulfill his destiny as an avatar of the god Vishnu. In two tales drawn from the Ramayana, you will learn about prince Ram and his victory over the ten-headed demon king Ravana and how the monkey-god Hanuman moved a medicine mountain to save Ram’s brother. In two stories from the famous epic the Mahabharata, you will discover how Karna became the greatest archer in the world to help good triumph over evil and how Arjuna compassionately fought his own cousins to bring peace to the kingdom of Hastinapur. The glowing illustrations, executed in transparent watercolors and tempera paints, are done in a centuries-old method traditional to India. Richly detailed, they bring to life the colorful cast of characters--humans, gods, and demons alike--and allow the reader to become immersed in the mystical world of ancient India.

Classic Tales from India: How Ganesh Got His Elephant Head and Other Stories

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