Several years ago in Rajasthan; an eighteen-year-old woman was burned on her husband's funeral pyre and thus became sati. Before ascending the pyre; she was expected to deliver both blessings and curses: blessings to guard her family and clan for many generations; and curses to prevent anyone from thwarting her desire to die. Sati also means blessing and curse in a broader sense. To those who revere it; sati symbolizes ultimate loyalty and self-sacrifice. It often figures near the core of a Hindu identity that feels embattled in a modern world. Yet to those who deplore it; sati is a curse; a violation of every woman's womanhood. It is murder mystified; and as such; the symbol of precisely what Hinduism should not be.In this volume a group of leading scholars consider the many meanings of sati: in India and the West; in literature; art; and opera; in religion; psychology; economics; and politics. With contributors who are both Indian and American; this is a genuinely binational; postcolonial discussion. Contributors include Karen Brown; Paul Courtright; Vidya Dehejia; Ainslie Embree; Dorothy Figueira; Lindsey Harlan; John Hawley; Robin Lewis; Ashis Nandy; and Veena Talwar Oldenburg.
#95434 in Books Kerby A Miller 1988-01-21Ingredients: Example IngredientsOriginal language:EnglishPDF # 1 6.06 x 1.09 x 9.00l; 1.98 #File Name: 0195051874684 pagesEmigrants and Exiles Ireland and the Irish Exodus to North America
Review
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Excellent resource for family genealogists; writers; and historiansBy Eclectic ReaderThis excellent history is a must-have for American family genealogists with Irish roots - it is one thing to know the names of your ancestors; but another to truly comprehend their experience as immigrants and the social and economic issues they encountered when they arrived in America. If you are a writer who is interested in accurately reflecting the Irish American experience pre and post-immigration; this is an excellent resource. Even though the book was published in 1985; the thoroughly researched material remains relevant and accurate. The book is a scholarly work written by a serious scholar; but if you have interest in or need for the material; you find the content engaging and useful. Note: I did not read the material chronologically as I am interested in specific time periods and social issues; but the book's chronological order and index make it easy to locate the content one is seeking.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Good but tough to readBy LFL8812This book is going to take me months; if not years; to read! I don't know who the author was writing for but not the the average reader; that's for sure. I have to have a dictionary by me even then don't understand what he is trying to say because of some of his sentence structure. I have 3 yrs of college; went to nursing school; was an RN nearly 30 years so I can't read that far below normal but; geeze; this is a chore. However; there is really good information in it I know; if I can ever plow through it; I will be glad I did. I just wish it weren't written so lofty for some kind of scholars so it would be more pleasurable to read.2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Emigrants and Exiles: Ireland and the Irish Exodus to North AmericaBy Nancy J. DickisonThis is a very in-depth research of the topic as stated in the title. If you are interested in Irish history this book is quite informative and interesting. However; it is not lite reading because of the author's detailed efforts to convey to the reader the many reasons why Ireland and the Irish people came to be such a distinctive population. These are reasons that cannot easily be summed up in a few short pages; but I do think the author could have done a better job in summarizing his information. Refreshingly; the author only lets his personal biases creep into the book occasionally. Most disappointing is that my paperback copy of this book was marred by an imperfect printing and many of the words on the left side of opposing pages were hardly readable. It became quite frustrating to have to guess at some of them.To anyone who is doing research; this is a good read.
