Meet four authors writing about “Seeking Sanctuary” in our upcoming September 30 program that celebrates the resilience of women. Join us and follow four paths, three fiction, and one memoir, for a journey in the different ways everyone seeks sanctuary in their own lives. Register Now
Author Anniqua Rana takes us on a magical journey and introduces us to Tara, abandoned at birth, and found by two mothers who live in a rural South Asian village in her book Wild Boar In The Cane Field. Raised amidst the rituals and superstitions of the village, acceptance become Tara’s inner-mantra. Follow the tender and patient adolescent voice of your narrator as she searches for herself and unravels this mystical journey through time.
Meet another Tara in author Veena Rao’s, Purple Lotus, a beautiful story where Tara experiences abandonment and isolation, and ultimately finds the courage to navigate her way through complex traditions to self-awareness in today’s modern world. Along the way, Tara meets many characters who surprise and guide her as she discovers that not all people from her past have abandoned her.
When her husband is transferred, author Cindy Rasicot finds herself in Thailand for three years. Plucked completely from the world she knows, she is suddenly immersed in a culture where seeking inner peace is the norm and it stirs up some unfinished business within her. Finding Venerable Mother: A Daughter’s Spiritual Quest To Thailand is Cindy’s memoir of her personal journey with Thailand’s first fully ordained Theravadin Buddhist nun, Venerable Dhammananda Bhikkhuni. In a world away, Cindy comes to terms with past relationships, finds a spiritual mentor, and a path for herself that has lasted to this day.
In Guesthouse for Ganesha, author Judith Teitelman takes us back in time to explore the world of Esther Grunspan, who comes from a small village in Poland to the German city of Koln in 1923. She brings only a small bag of personal belongings, her talent as a tailor, a hardened heart, and a determination to find what she needs to survive. On her journey through Koln, she “meets” the Hindu God Ganesh, worshipped by millions for his ability to destroy obstacles, bestow wishes, and avenge evils. On a journey of 22-years, East meets West, and somewhere in all of that Esther finds the sanctuary she’s desperately seeking.
Friends’ member, Joanna Broussard will moderate the discussion between these talented authors. “We are all seeking sanctuary in some way - whether it’s through a physical location, a person, a period of time, or on a search deep within ourselves. Finding a place of safety and peace is one of our most basic needs as human beings,” says Joanna.
We hope you join us for what promises to be a delightful and insightful evening among friends. Register Now
Read more about the authors and moderator.