The Truth about Me: A Hijra Life Story by A. Revathi We got stared at a lot. People asked out loudly some out of curiosity, others out of malice whether we were men or women or number nines or devadasis. Several men made bold to touch us, on our backs, on our shoulders. Some attempted to grab our breasts. Original or duplicate they shouted and hooted. At such moments I felt despair and wondered if there would ever be a way for us to live with dignity and make a decent living.
Revathi was born a boy, but felt and behaved like a girl. In telling her life story, Revathi evokes marvelously the deep unease of being in the wrong body that plagued her from childhood. To be true to herself, to escape the constant violence visited upon her by her family and community, the village-born Revathi ran away to Delhi to join a house of hijras. Her life became an incredible series of dangerous physical and emotional journeys to become a woman and to find love.
Committed by Elizabeth Gilbert At the end of her bestselling memoir Eat, Pray, Love, Elizabeth Gilbert fell in love with Felipe, a Brazilian-born man of Australian citizenship who?d been living in Indonesia when they met. Resettling in America, the couple swore eternal fidelity to each other, but also swore to never, ever, under any circumstances get legally married. (Both were survivors of previous horrific divorces. Enough said.)
But providence intervened one day in the form of the United States government, which?after unexpectedly detaining Felipe at an American border crossing?gave the couple a choice: they could either get married, or Felipe would never be allowed to enter the country again. Having been effectively sentenced to wed, Gilbert tackled her fears of marriage by delving into this topic completely, trying with all her might to discover through historical research, interviews, and much personal reflection what this stubbornly enduring old institution actually is. Told with Gilbert?s trademark wit, intelligence and compassion, Committed attempts to "turn on all the lights" when it comes to matrimony, frankly examining questions of compatibility, infatuation, fidelity, family tradition, social expectations, divorce risks and humbling responsibilities.
Gilbert's memoir is ultimately a clear-eyed celebration of love with all the complexity and consequence that real love, in the real world, actually entails.
Picasso's War by Russel Martin On 26 April 1937, the Basque town of Guernica in northern Spain was bombed by Hitler's Luftwaffe on behalf of Francisco Franco as he waged a bloody civil war. Twenty-four hours later, the village lay in ruins, its population decimated. This act of terror - the first large-scale attack against civilians in modern warfare - outraged the world, and one man in particular. Pablo Picasso, an expatriate living in Paris, responded to the devastation in his homeland by beginning work on GUERNICA, a painting many consider the greatest artwork of the twentieth century. Intermingling themes of politics, art, war and morality, and featuring some of the twentieth century's most memorable and infamous figures, Russell Martin follows this renowned masterpiece across decades and continents. From Europe to America and, finally, back to Spain, PICASSO'S WAR sheds light on the conflict that was an ominous prelude to World War II and delivers an unforgettable portrait of a genius whose visionary statement about the horror and terrible wounds of war still resonates today.Read More...Hide Pages: 274
Lance Armstrong: A Biography by Bill Gutman With unwavering dedication,courage and strength, Lance armstrong has overcome incredible obstacles to become the greatest cyclist of all time-and an international celebrity.
IN this newly updated biography,ride with Lance through the uphill battles,twists, and triumphs that has marked his career.On July 24,2005, Armstrong retired from professional cycling.But his work is far from over.Read More...Hide Pages: 175
My Feudal Lord by Tehmina Durrani Born into one of Pakistan's most influential families, Tehmina Durrani was raised in the privileged milieu of Lahore high society and educated at the same school as Benazir Bhutto. Like all women of her rank, she was expected to marry a wealthy Muslim, bear him many children and lead a sheltered life of air-conditioned leisure. When she married Mustafa Khar, one of Pakistan's most eminent political figures, she continued to move in the best circles, and learned to keep up the public facade as a glamorous, cultivated wife, and mother of four children. In private, however, the story-book romance rapidly turned sour. Mustafa Khar became violently possessive and jealous, and succeeded in cutting his wife off from the outside world. For the course of her 14-year marriage, she suffered alone, in silence. This is the story of Tehmina's rebellion from an unhappy marriage. As a Muslim woman seeking a divorce, she paid a high price. She signed away all financial support, lost the custody of her children, and found herself alienated from her friends and disowned by her parents. The book, which she originally published herself after publishers in Pakistan refused to do so, shocked Pakistan society. She had succeeeded in reconciling her faith in Islam with her ardent belief in women's rights.Read More...Hide Pages: 382
Subaltern Saheb by Sankarshan Thakur From a foremost journalist, the story of Laloo Yadav's rise and fall and, simultaneously, the rise and fall of the fortunes of Bihar.India has not seen a politician quite like Laloo Yadav. A mesmerising bundle of odds - hero to some, villain to others, a self-fashioned champion of the underdog and yet more imperious than the most well-heeled feudal. Charming and ruthless by turns, Laloo Yadav has repeatedly defied predictions of doom. He is not finished still with the business of leaving his imprint on politics and society. Here, for the first time, is the fascinating story of Laloo Yadav and his helmsmanship of Bihar, a state different from any other in the abject acceptance of its wretchedness. A brilliant account seen through Sankarshan Thakur's unsparing journalistic eye. This is neither a hatchet job nor a hagiography; it is a plain tale of a complex populist and what his brand of politics does to people.Read More...Hide Pages: 218
Jennifer: The Unauthorized Biography by Sean Smith Jennifer Aniston's story has touched the hearts of men and women around the world. She is the girl next door, witty, charming and with a smile that lights up a room. Men want to be with her and women can identify with her. She was, she admits, more of a professional waitress than an actress before an audition for a new sitcom transformed her life. "Friends" became the most popular comedy in the world for the next ten years. At the height of her TV fame Jennifer fell in love with Brad Pitt. They married in 2000 becoming Hollywood's golden couple. She was on more magazine covers than any other celebrity and was named as Hollywood's most powerful celebrity. After four years, however, her life became a nightmare when she and Pitt split and her obvious despair was there for the whole world to see. If anything, the new vulnerable Jennifer is even more popular than the old vivacious Rachel version when she had the most copied hairstyle in the world.Based on in-depth new research, Jennifer will examine how she is fighting back and reveal the true woman behind the Rachel Green facade. It is an affectionate and insightful portrait of one of our most popular stars.Read More...Hide Pages: 352
Scribbling the Cat: Travels with an African Soldier by Alexandra Fuller With the same disarmingly unguarded prose that won her critical acclaim for Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight, Alexandra Fuller tells of her unusual friendship with "K"-a white African and veteran of the brutal, racially divided Rhodesian War. An engrossing and haunting tale of love, godliness, hate, war, and survival, Scribbling the Cat recounts the journey she makes with K into the lands that hold the scars of their war, from Zambia through Zimbabwe (formerly Rhodesia) and into Mozambique. Driven by memories, they venture deeper into the countries-remote bush, where they encounter other veterans and survivors and confront the demons of K's past: a violent war marked by racial strife, jungle battles, torture, and the murdering of innocent civilians.Read More...Hide Pages: 251
The Family by Mario Puzo "We are a family," Alexander told his children. "And the loyalty of the family must come before everything and everyone else. For if we honor that commitment, we will never be vanquished -- but if we falter in that loyalty, we will all be condemned."
In The Family, this singular novelist transports his readers back to fifteenth-century Rome and reveals the extravagance and intrigue of the Vatican as surely as he once revealed the secrets of the MafiaRead More...Hide Pages: 418 Accolades New York Times Best Seller
Amrita Imroz: A Love Story by Uma Trilok Amrita Imroz: A Love Story offers living glimpses of the 'sacred hymn' of Amrita Pritam and Imroz's life together.Uma Trilok had the rare opportunity to witness their remarkable love story and the passionate bond that they shared for so many years.In this moving tribute she communicates her sense of deep wonder ta their unique and unconventional relationship, as also her profound admoration for energy of these two extraordinary individuals.Read More...Hide Pages: 128
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