PROVIDENCE, R.I., April 28, 2004 (PRIMEZONE) -- Two people living on opposite ends of the world: one dreaming of death, the other running from it. Improbably, their fate lies wrapped in each other, and with it the exposure of abuse and mutilation against women. In his book, The Ashram, Dr. Sattar Memon shows how these people came to their own enlightenment, and helps readers to do the same.
Dr. Jonathan Kingsley, traveling to a Himalayan spiritual hermitage, tries to save himself from suicidal thoughts after the death of his wife. This hermitage, known as an Ashram, was meant to provide him peace even as he sought to rehabilitate others through volunteer work. But he never expected the practices and rituals he would discover, or imagined himself trying to save one woman from her unwanted future.
As the doctor searches for an excuse to keep on living, Seeta struggles to keep her own husband alive, not only out of love, but for her own safety. The townspeople of Baramedi for some reason have decided that when her husband dies, Seeta should climb atop a burning pyre to burn with his body. This practice of suttee, out of use for many years, forces Seeta to search for escape, and brings Jonathan to her village in an effort to save her. But, when he arrives at the pyre, soon he realizes there is more to his journey: unbeknownst to him, the woman's safety is intricately tied with his own salvation.
Sattar Memon's The Ashram takes this beginning of fear and oppression and shows how such trials can lead to happiness and fulfillment. Readers quickly become caught up in the dramatic tale. As an editor of Writer's Digest, Mr. Robert Gover, noted: "Sattar Memon bests James Redfeld in suspenseful, action adventure." Another Writer's Digest editor, Mr. David King, sees the book as a potential "summer blockbuster."
About the Author
Sattar Memon hails from the state Rajasthan, India, where most Suttees happened. Born in a small village, he eventually came to the United States, where he studied medicine at Brown University, where he is currently Associate Professor of Medicine. His six previous stories and publications, combined with his struggle to deal with deaths of loving patients and his memories of oppression of women in India, led him to write The Ashram.
The Ashram
by Sattar Memon
Publication Date: 4/15/2004
Trade Paperback; $19.54; 358 pages; 1-4134-2068-0
Cloth Hardback; $29.69; 358 pages; 1-4134-2069-9
To request a complimentary paperback review copy, contact the publisher at (215) 923-4686 x. 165. Tearsheets may be sent by regular or electronic mail to Marianne Bellesorte. To purchase copies of the book for resale, please fax Xlibris at (215) 599-0114. Xlibris is a strategic partner of Random House Ventures, LLC, and a subsidiary of Random House, Inc. Xlibris books can be purchased in any major bookstore, or online at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Borders or Xlibris. For more information, contact Xlibris at (888) 795-4274 or on the web at www.Xlibris.com.