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Book Reviews
�The Lotus Blooms,� by Ramsundar Persad; published by AuthorHouse (www.authorhouse.com);
46 pages; $10.49.
It wasn�t till after his death in 2002 that Ramsundar Persad�s family
discovered 36 typewritten poems in a brown folder by his bedside table.
The poems about faith, trust, gratitude, struggle, love, were published
posthumously in a book form.
Of course, this wasn�t Persad�s first book. He previous wrote four books,
including �Rites, Rituals and Customs,� as well as several English
transliterations. He also penned the annual Diwali addresses to the nation
by the then-president of Trinidad and Tobago, Noor Mohamed Hassanali.
A magistrate for 34 years, Persad writes poems in a simple and
straightforward language that anyone can read and comprehend. Here�s one
of his gems:
�I Lost My Heart To You�
You are my only love
The only one I love so true
Since the day your face I had seen
I lost my heart to you
The night I find is long and lonely
The day so quickly through
This is because I love you truly
Since I love my heart to you
I always dream your lovely face
Throughout the day I think of you
I imagine you in my embrace
As I lost my heart to you
Let me be far from you no longer
Be with me all life through
Let my heart no longer hunger
For I have lost my heart to you
�Buddha�s Wife,� by Gabriel Constans; published by
Robert D. Reed Publishers (www.rdrpublishers.com);
192 pages; $14.94. Everyone knows the story of Siddhartha Gautama (later
to become the Buddha), how he left his wife Yasodhara and 2-year-old son
Rahula, in the middle of the night to seek enlightenment. But how many of
us are aware of the trials and tribulations of Yasodhara? That is what
Constans, a freelance journalist, writes about but as seen through the
eyes of Yasodhara. It�s a fascinating story that Constans could have told
in a captivating manner. Unfortunately, his storytelling lacks depth and
interest to engage the reader for hours. We had a tough time turning page
after page. The spark just wasn�t there.
�Delhi Noir,� edited by Hirsh Sawhney; published by
Akashic Books (www.akashicbooks.com);
300 pages. $15.95. Things aren�t as wonderful and prosperous in the
capital of the world�s largest democracy. That�s according to 14 stories
in �Delhi Noir� by Irwin Allan Sealy, Omair Ahmad, Radhika Jha, Ruchir
Joshi, Nalinaksha Bhattacharya, Meera Nair, Siddharth Chowdhury, Mohan
Sikka, Palash K. Mehrotra, Hartosh Singh Bal, Hirsh Sawhney, Tabish Khair,
Uday Prakash and Manjula Padmanabhan. The book, a continuation of the original noir
anthologies, takes a bleak look at Delhi�s uncomfortable underside. There
are stories of corrupt police officers, sex in parks, male prostitution,
vigilante rickshaw drivers, religious riots, soulless corporate dons and
murderous servants. And all the stories, written brilliantly, are divided
into three parts: Part I: �With You, For You, Always� (motto of the Delhi
Police); Part II: �Youngistan� (land of the youth); and Part III: �Walled
City, World City� (a Times of India campaign). |
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