Though coming from humble beginnings, the Daniels family has lived in relative peace and prosperity. And while they are Jewish, they call themselves Persians and, for 2,500 years, declare Iran as their home. Though imperfect (then again, what is?), they have enjoyed the benefits of the shah¿s rule, with his forward-looking policy for Iran. Then came Ayatollah Khomeini¿s rise to power and his subsequent takeover of this ancient land of Iran. Disillusioned students, hiding behind the fervor of their philosophical and religious convictions, as well as opportunistic rebels and people without morals or conscience, flocked to the ayatollah¿s side, performing under his banner acts of atrocities and violence that set the country backward. And out of all this, the Daniels family, including many others, is caught in the middle, targeted by malicious people under the guise of their so-called revolution.
How far would you travel for love? In her sparkling memoir, journalist Alison Singh Gee learns that love, riches, and a place to call home can be found in the most unexpected places. Alison Singh Gee was a glamorous magazine writer with a serious Jimmy Choo habit, a weakness for five-star Balinese resorts, and a reputation for dating highborn British men. Then she met Ajay, a charming and unassuming Indian journalist, and her world turned upside down. Traveling from her shiny, rapid-fire life in Hong Kong to Ajay's native village, Alison learns that not all is as it seems. Turns out that Ajay is a landed prince (of sorts), but his family palace is falling to pieces. Replete with plumbing issues, strange noises, and intimidating relatives, her new love's ramshackle palace, Mokimpur, is a broken-down relic in desperate need of a makeover. And Alison wonders if she can soldier on for the sake of the man who just might be her soul mate. This modern-day fairytale, WHERE THE PEACOCKS SING, takes readers on a cross-cultural journey from the manicured gardens of Beverly Hills, to the bustling streets of Hong Kong and finally to the rural Indian countryside as Alison comes to terms with her complicated new family, leaves the modern world behind, and learns the true meaning of home.
336-page highly detailed travel guide. Guatemala is a feast for explorers looking for new experiences. This fantastic guidebook takes you from fiery volcanoes to historic churches dating back to the 1600s. You can sail on Lake Atitlan, raft on Rio Candelera, hike to Maya ruins, dive a barrier reef or take a bike tour around Antigua. In-depth details on the culture, traditions and how to travel with respect for the country and its welcoming people. With the author's expert advice, you'll find excellent eateries, locally made crafts and family-run B&Bs. Maps. Index. Need information while you're on the go? Tired of guidebooks that don't fit in your pocket? We hear you. If you're visiting for just a week or two, perhaps you don't need the in-depth history section or geographical details that can make a book cumbersome. Check out this line of portable travel guides designed to be used while you're on the move. Their handy, pocket-sized format means they'll slip into your pocket or fanny pack while you focus on what you came for - whether that's hiking in Belize's rainforest with binoculars in hand, exploring Maya ruins in the Yucatan or taking in historic town sights. Adventures covered are anything from town walking tours and beachcombing to whitewater rafting and organized horseback riding excursions. Cultural activities might be dance lessons, art classes, attending a language school or visiting traditional communities in the area. These guides still contain all the practical travel information you need - places to stay and eat, tourist information resources, travel advice and more. The text is filled with interesting tips, while town and regional maps make planning day-trips or city tours easy.
A twist of fate entwines the lives of three people who ordinarily would never have crossed paths. Robby, a product of Hollywood is fraught with emotional issues. Sundri makes her humble, rural beginnings in the shadow of the glamorous, world-famous, Peacock Palace Hotel. Saloni is a carefree, vivacious Delhi girl with a thirst for adventure. Their dramatic lives unfold in a saga of secrets, romance, heart-break and hope.
Ordinary Enchantments investigates magical realism as the most important trend in contemporary international fiction, defines its characteristics and narrative techniques, and proposes a new theory to explain its significance. In the most comprehensive critical treatment of this literary mode to date, Wendy B. Faris discusses a rich array of examples from magical realist novels around the world, including the work not only of Latin American writers like Gabriel Garcia Marquez, but also of authors like Salman Rushdie, Gunter Grass, Toni Morrison, and Ben Okri. Faris argues that by combining realistic representation with fantastic elements so that the marvelous seems to grow organically out of the ordinary, magical realism destabilizes the dominant form of realism based on empirical definitions of reality, gives it visionary power, and thus constitutes what might be called a "remystification" of narrative in the West. Noting the radical narrative heterogeneity of magical realism, the author compares its cultural role to that of traditional shamanic performance, which joins the worlds of daily life and that of the spirits. Because of that capacity to bridge different worlds, magical realism has served as an effective decolonizing agent, providing the ground for marginal voices, submerged traditions, and emergent literatures to develop and create masterpieces. At the same time, this process is not limited to postcolonial situations but constitutes a global trend that replenishes realism from within. In addition to describing what many consider to be the progressive cultural work of magical realism, Faris also confronts the recent accusation that magical realism and its study as a global phenomenon can be seen as a form of commodification and an imposition of cultural homogeneity. And finally, drawing on the narrative innovations and cultural scenarios that magical realism enacts, she extends those principles toward issues of gender and the possibility of a female element within magical realism.
