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Sleeping With Lions
Lee Anne McIlroy’s Sleeping With Lions: A Year in Tanzania documents her time spent as an English Language Fellow for a university in Bukoba, Tanzania. The author’s memoir is a poignant portrayal of the landscapes and people who shaped her journey as a woman following a difficult divorce.
Lee Anne describes the scenery in Bukoba with eyes of wonderment. Unlike some of her peers, who only see the economic poverty of Tanzania and greater Africa, she indulges in the cultural richness of local life. She sees her time in Tanzania as a way to rediscover herself in a land that has always felt dear to her heart. From the food to the sounds and sights she experiences, she uses vivid descriptors that give the landscape a magical feeling.
The people she meets are a formative part of her journey. She makes an active effort to do more than coexist with her colleagues and the locals around her; she strives to learn from them, even in the most minute ways. She gets to know the family of Ocham, the professor she partners with at the university, and even visits their family home. She has a particular affinity for the priests with whom she stays for the duration of the trip. The priests help her rediscover her womanhood; unlike her ex-husband, who never fully understood her, they respect her career and offer her a set of fresh perspectives.
Finally, as an educator and mom of daughters raised in California, she often considers the conditions in which her students learn and operate. Despite lacking the socioeconomic privilege that her daughters had throughout their childhoods, she describes her students as some of the brightest and hardest-working she has encountered. In contrast to her students in California, students frequented her office hours in droves to reinforce their commitment to their education. In the end, she discovers that it is not wealth that makes a person’s life rich; the richness of spirit and passion makes it so.
Sleeping With Lions: A Year in Tanzania is an emotional memoir that shares one woman’s journey discovering parts of herself while learning about a new culture. Her strength shines through her stories and is inspirational to those that read them.
Pages 291 | ASIN : B0BKYFTPC9
Embrace the Dangers and Possibilities
The Elephant in the Room follows a couple who visits Indonesia for the first time and experiences a culture drastically different than what they are used to. What was the inspiration for the original and fascinating idea at the center of the book?
Something had to be done to address the extreme rifts between people in this country as well as the rest of the world. As a writer, I wanted to communicate the message through people who were living on each end of many of these extremes. The message is a critical one of beginning healing.
Writing this book has allowed me to expose publicly, in a fascinating, yet understated way, rampant, accepted prejudice and cultural inequalities.
Reading, the act of reading, puts the magic of words and ideas inside readers’ bodies and minds with a subtlety impossible in a verbal interchange. Internalized, it can be contemplated—revised, rethought, doubted—and changed! A new way of thinking, acting and BEING can come about. More kind, more understanding.
How thrilling to discover The Elephant in the Room—and rather than fear it, embrace the danger and possibilities it represents.
In the book, the Crown Prince, with his aggressive greed and power, had the potential to completely shatter an entire culture. He and his minions had dehumanized the population. Only through the simplest of simple wisdom, that of the shaman Apollo, with his community in Medicine Village, was healing begun.
With this story I hope to share the process of healing at its purest, most basic level.
What kind of research did you do for this novel to ensure you captured the essence of the story’s theme?
Since research sometimes is dry, and I wanted this story to be vividly alive, my most important research was traveling to Sumatra with Indonesian friends who had grown up on the island. With them I learned the culture in extremely intimate ways. I am most grateful to them for their generosity in sharing so much of their history. In addition, I did research the history of the caste system, the ACEH movement, the treatment of elephants, etc. to make certain all my information was genuine—and it is!
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
I wanted to empower the reader into the realization that the Elephant, or elephants, in the Room, can be addressed. In fact, they must be. The ecological elephants, both symbolic and real!, the cultural elephants, the elephants of prejudice and greed, political elephants, etc. Through the characters and events in the book, my hope is that readers become aware of these ‘elephants’, and that they can see transformation in a positive direction is possible. Only with awareness and action can this happen. I would love my book to help make that awareness a reality.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
My next book will continue to delve into wonderful characters struggling both with themselves and cultural differences. It is based on a true incident that begins at the foot of Machu Picchu and unreels over the course of two decades. It is titled Mario of My Life and will be available sometime late in 2023.
It will most likely be followed by a searing memoir of my four years in Barcelona, Spain while the dictator Francisco Franco was still in power.
Author Links: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram
The Elephant in the Room
Much like its front cover, The Elephant in the Room by Jill Campbell-Mason is a colorful story of Ella and Warren’s trip to Indonesia after meeting Asta and Henry on a cruise ship, who invited them to stay at their home in Jakarta. This is more than just a fascinating travel adventure story. It sheds light on the dynamic culture and social differences of those living in Indonesia.
Keen to prepare for the upcoming trip, they meet with Aunt Clara to probe her memories for any tips she may have on relating to a foreign culture without causing offense. Upon arriving, the couple soon discovers that Aunt Clara’s tales of the southeast were not exaggerated and the country is more exotic and fascinating than any fiction tale, complete with wild elephants that still barge into villages uninvited and infrastructure that is essentially non-existent.
Blink for a second, and you will be lost. This story moves quickly. The writing style is highly complex, loaded with figurative expressions and phrases that are utilized to tell the story of multiple characters across various periods of time. This technique works well to incorporate historical context and picks up on key issues of racism, religion, discrimination, power, and poverty. However, Campbell-Mason’s tone fluctuates often and can be read as somewhere in the middle of past and present, which can be difficult to follow. The inclusions of so many characters also create barriers to a deeper connection.
As the title suggests understanding the role of elephants is key to understanding the underlying lessons of this narrative; how an individual’s actions can alter the trajectory of a nation or their courage to bring down tyranny and criminality can create harmony and reunite the community. They represent human life and the values within humanity.
The Elephant in the Room by Jill Campbell-Mason is a fantastic woman’s adventure novel addressing prejudice towards some of the most marginalized groups in society. The juxtaposition of the two couples worked well to provide a two-lens approach to understanding Indonesian culture and faith – it will leave you with great conversation starters!
Pages: 421 | ASIN : B0B7F1G5HW
A Cowgirl’s Stories
Sallie Geermann has been asked to document her life. It’s not something she ever set out to do, but this is a request from the people she loves most; her family. After all, she knows that hers is a story worth telling because it involves all of them. From her childhood to her days in the Vista Grande rest home, Sallie puts on paper her life story; warts and all. Everyone who knows Sallie knows her tale will depict her days as a ranchhand and an aunt who loves unconditionally, but not one of them can possibly predict how profound her words will be.
A Cowgirl’s Stories, by T.P. Graf, is a companion book to the author’s trilogy featuring main character, Jaime Cruz. Having read Graf’s trilogy and having fallen for Jaime and the entire cast of characters, I was more than excited to see Sallie with her own book. Sallie is one of the standout characters in Graf’s works, and I could only see good things coming from a book featuring the story of her life. I was not disappointed–Graf more than delivers with this look back at Sallie’s days on the ranch.
There are books you enjoy, books you find relatable, and books you recommend to friends because you think they are well-written. Then there are books like Sallie Geermann: A Cowgirl’s Stories. T.P. Graf has crafted a tale that envelops readers in a warm blanket tightly woven from the perfect combination of beautiful memories and difficult truths. As Sallie reminisces, readers will find themselves drawn into her life on the ranch as she both cherishes her family and struggles to help them overcome their many hardships over the years.
Sallie is such a special character. She is open, honest, and possesses all the best traits readers seek in a main character. Her ramblings are random and, at the same time, completely captivating. I adore that readers do not necessarily know where Sallie will take us next. The unpredictability of her tales is endearing in the best possible way.
Graf’s companion book is a perfect addition to the Jaime Cruz trilogy and, in my opinion, can be read before or after the first three books. This is a must-read for anyone who has read Jaime’s trilogy or a great way to introduce themselves to Graf’s work. Sallie’s life story is one readers will not want to miss.
Pages: 250 | ASIN: B0B8Y48TYP
A Light In The Wilderness
A Light in the Wilderness by James Snyder is a well-researched book on Florida’s appealing history. The author provides the reader with interesting information about the construction of the Jupiter lighthouse in South Florida in 1860. It became a center point for hunters, surveyors, Civil War blockade runners, Union gunboats, and pioneer farmers.
For generations, Florida was completely occupied by wilderness and wildlife until the Jupiter lighthouse attracted families to Florida, and now the coast is home to millions of families. Snyder also provides the history of Florida, from slavery to the building of the railroad, to the Civil War and many more historical moments. Vintage maps, letters, and rare photos are also used to describe the ancient story of how Florida survived the civil war.
Snyder has written a book that is not a big topic, and hard to find a book on the history of Florida being built from the ground up. However, the author has done his research, which shows in his book detailed accounts, maps, and images of historical figures that inhabited Florida. I enjoyed that the author started from the beginning when Southeast Florida was just wilderness and no one occupied the land, allowing the reader to get a complete picture of what Florida was many years ago.
If you are not one that is keen on history, this may be one book that is a little difficult to get through because it is factual, and it is similar to watching a documentary on the History Channel. For example, it was interesting to read that Florida was an integral part of the Navy, capturing over 100 Confederate ships. Interesting facts like this make this book a worthy and appealing read. The Jupiter Lighthouse brought diverse people together and served the local community.
A Light in the Wilderness is an engaging read that will have readers appreciating the history of Florida and how it became a prosperous state today. I highly recommend this book to history buffs and those who want something new to learn.
Pages: 309 | ASIN : B00CSV5QJE
Life Between Moments
Life Between Moments, by Phil Rosen, is a collection of captivating short fiction stories with New York City at the center of it all. The stories come from the inspiration the author got while living in the big apple and watching people. Each story is a small snippet of what the author observed, heard, and even lived through. Each short story contains a different theme and character, making this a pleasantly unpredictable read. Because it would be difficult to find one thing they have in common to connect their stories, the author has provided a short read to tell their experience.
Rosen’s short stories immerse the reader in the middle of the characters’ lives without describing or explaining who they are. I enjoyed this because it adds a bit of mystery to the characters, and it made me want to know more about them. The author also leaves the short story’s ending vague, allowing readers to create their own conclusion and make their own assumptions as to what happened. Some of the stories had an ending that shocked me or had a twist that I did not expect, which showcases the authors brilliant writing style. I appreciated each story’s development, especially since the author did not always get the full story when people watching, so he took what he observed, added more context, and made his own story. Rosen creatively eases the reader into drama-filled stories that are both dreams and reality.
Life Between Moments by Phil Rosen is an unpredictable and entertaining book of short stories that will keep readers intrigued until the end. I recommend this collection to anyone looking for captivating short stories that can be easily read throughout your busy day.
Pages: 141 | ASIN : B0B8YCQPS6
Buddy and Bailey’s Alaskan Adventure
Alaska is home to many different animals and environments. From icebergs to thick woods to miles of grasslands, there is a home for all kinds of animals. Buddy and Bailey, two dog brothers, take readers on an exciting adventure all over Alaska to meet new animals and make new friends. First, they meet a beaver, some moose, a polar bear family, a pack of wolves, some grizzly bears, ox, caribou, salmon, and puffins, and finally, they meet up and play with a dog sled team! They have traveled all over the state to meet these animals, which has been an exciting adventure.
Buddy and Bailey’s Alaskan Adventure by Kai Reeg, illustrated by M.F. Shobaru, does more than show readers different animals. It shares some of the highlights of Alaska, Mount Denali, and the Kenai Peninsula and even talks about the Iditarod race. Young children will learn so much about Alaska by reading this book. After learning about each animal, there is a question to keep children engaged in the story and actively listening.
I love all the different animals that children are introduced to in this picture book. Children will learn more than just the animal names. They get to know simple facts about them and about where they live. It is an excellent introduction to the different wildlife in Alaska. I can see parents using this to read to children before taking a trip there and getting kids excited about everything they may see.
The narrators are two dog brothers, which makes this exciting book even more enjoyable. Who would not want to go on a journey led by two dogs to meet new animal friends? Teachers and parents will enjoy reading Buddy and Bailey’s Alaskan Adventure as much as children as they learn all about Alaska and the wildlife that make it their home.
Pages: 33 : ISBN 979-8-9851783-0-2
They Paved The Path On Which I Tread
Healing Strings follows an ex-pat from India who is forced to take shelter after Tokyo is rocked by two major natural disasters. What was the inspiration for the setup to your story?
“Healing Strings” is a work of fiction with some autobiographical elements. I was living in Tokyo, when an earthquake of 9 Richter struck the Tohoku region in Japan on March 11, 2011, followed by a Tsunami at 14.46 JST. These two major disasters occurred at a time when I was diagnosed with “Takayasu Arteritis” – a fatal autoimmune disease. The Japanese doctors did an exceedingly good job of saving me. These major events after a few years triggered my imagination to write a novel. As this would be my first attempt at novel writing, I took admission in an online Novel Writing Course in the Faber Academy, UK. This novel my project in Faber Academy developed into the present stage with the guidance received from my Professors and Authors in Faber Academy, i.e Emily Barr and Mark Jervis. They paved the path on which I tread and expressed my imagination, experiences and dreams into words.
I must admit that what follows the earthquake in the novel is fiction, though I am a keen lover of the mandolin and music therapy is a major theme of this work. The location of the novel as well as description of Japanese culture in Tokyo and Kyoto as well that of Bekal in Kerala is what I have experienced first-hand and so is the medical treatment imparted to the protagonist for “Takayasu Arteritis” by the Japanese doctors.
Raj is an interesting character. What were some driving ideals behind your character’s development?
Raj is a character which developed through me as we both suffer from the same physical ailment. However, our lives may have taken different trajectories as Raj is a figment of my imagination. His value system which he has imbibed is what I cherish. He is a ‘family man’ with immense love and affection for his wife, son, and daughter. Though he is a marketing professional in a corporate firm in Tokyo, his roots and magnetic pull is towards his family in New Delhi in India.
Another trait of his character is his sense of humour and empathy which is reflected in his relationship with the staff of Trinity Advertising, his friend Bikram, and the nurses in the hospital.
A major theme of the novel is music, and this germinates from Raj’s love for the mandolin. Playing on the mandolin’s strings not only is a source of communication with Ayana but also helps in subsiding the aneurysms in his body. As Music Therapy worked in his case, he tries to replicate the same by opening an institute of Music Therapy in Bekal in Kerala. He wants to share with society, what has worked in his life.
The love he develops for his mandolin teacher and the respect he has for her husband and his own wife depicts his level of maturity in handling such a situation. An attempt has been made to portray him as a good human being, a fine friend, a virtuous life-partner, a platonic lover, and a concerned parent.
The reader on reading the novel may wish to imbibe some of his traits.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
There are various themes which run concurrently in “Healing Strings”. One of the major themes in this work is disaster at the personal level and national level and how it effects an individual, society, and the entire nation. To overcome a disaster, requires resilience and expertise and these aspects are delineated in the reactions of Raj, scientists, medical fraternity, as well as the local population of Japan.
The second theme which is predominant is love and that love can bloom even without verbal or written communication. Love has only a beginning…. and that love can rise above the physical. Music can bring the hearts together and convey more to the lovers than any language.
The third theme is Music Therapy, and this is depicted in the blooming feelings of Raj and Ayana as well the cure of Raj’s ailment. It is not surprising that in today’s world modern medical science has accepted the role of Music Therapy and many hospitals world over have a Music Therapy wing. The famous American novelist Jodi Lynn Picoult states, “Music therapy, to me, is music performance without the ego. It’s not about entertainment as much as about empathizing. If you can use music to slip past the pain and gather insight into the workings of someone else’s mind, you can begin to fix a problem.”
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
I am presently working on two books simultaneously. The first book is a compilation of short stories titled “Thirteen” which will depict various scenes of life which we overlook and consider as natural happenings, but they play a major role in the character’s life. I personally feel that every human being is a compilation of experiences, stories, and anecdotes. We just need to be keen observers and empathise with what another human being undergoes. This book should be ready for release in 2023.
The second book I am working on with a co-author is non-fiction and is tentatively titled “Tourism Marketing in India”. The focus of this book is on the post-pandemic era, the marketing strategies required to revive tourism in India and usage of social media tools to position the destination in the potential tourist’s psyche in various key markets across the globe. The world has undergone a sea change because of the onslaught of Covid 19 and almost all destinations need resuscitation and revival at the grassroot level. Hence, the strategies to promote a destination which will now emerge with the new travel trends are going to be different. I sincerely hope I can complete this work in 2022.
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“Healing Strings” 14:46 hrs, 11 March, 2011, Tokyo is hit by a massive earthquake. The city is still reeling with the aftershocks when an unprecedented Tsunami hits its shores. This wake of destruction is reflected in the life of Raj, an expat from India. 50-year-old Raj has been diagnosed with Takayasu Arteritis, an incurable disease in which the blood vessels develop blockages which can burst at any moment. Raj had nine such aneurysms all over his body. The Japanese Doctors are trying their best to prevent them from bursting. Much like scientists in Fukushima trying hard to prevent the nuclear reactors from exploding. Out for a random stroll, an antique Mandolin catches his eye. He ends up buying the instrument, hoping to learn how to play it. This item on his bucket list, takes him to the threshold of an elderly Japanese musician. She hesitantly takes him under her fold. She only speaks Japanese, of which Raj does not understand a word. Transcending language and cultural barriers, a rare friendship develops between the two. In a scenario of disease and disaster, does the will to survive and make new beginnings assert itself, amongst the Japanese and Raj………. Reviews ” A fascinating debut! Love blossoms in an ambience of disaster, Japanese culture and resilience, and ends in the beautiful environs of Bekal in Kerala. Creativity at its best! Truly captivating. – Amitabh Kant, CEO, NITI Aayog, Government of India. ” Music heals – how true and how well this book brings it out. And provides succour to the protagonist, the lovers and the nation. A great read” – Ashwani Lohani CEO, GMR Services Business, Former CMD, Air India & ITDC, Former Chairman, Railway Board. “the story is truly heart-warming and enlightening, definitely an original tale that I have not had the pleasure of hearing anything similar before.” – Literary Titan
LITERARY TITAN 