Bandilanka's Forgotten Lives

Bandilanka's Forgotten Lives PDF Author: Kamakshi Pappu Murti
Publisher: Leadstart Publishing Pvt Ltd
ISBN: 9354585957
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 125

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Book Description
Bandilanka, a fictional village in Southern India, represents many such ones across the Indian subcontinent, still caught up in the age-old customs, and superstitions that are destructive at times. The characters in this collection have each faced some form of injustice or loss. ‘A cleaning woman’s tale’ and ‘Vegetable vendor Sundari’ exemplify sex-discrimination in the village. ‘Widowhood across generations’ describes the fate of widows from all castes, classes, and age groups. ‘The matter of trans lives’ and ‘Tradition’s stranglehold’ show how despite a 2014 law formally recognizing the existence of a third gender, Hijras continue to face hate and persecution, as does the entire LGBTQ+ community. Bigotry raises its ugly head in ‘Night soil removers Kaavanna and Kondamma,’ but is condemned in an interesting reversal of fate. ‘A washerman’s dream’ is the poignant story of a washerman who with his dying breath thanks a loving family for giving him the strength to stand up to a lifetime of rejection because of his perceived low caste. The stories highlight the inherent worth and dignity of the lives of these disenfranchised groups thus challenging socially constructed divides and inequalities of caste, religion, gender, sexual orientation, and age.

Bandilanka's Forgotten Lives

Bandilanka's Forgotten Lives PDF Author: Kamakshi Pappu Murti
Publisher: Leadstart Publishing Pvt Ltd
ISBN: 9354585957
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 125

Get Book Here

Book Description
Bandilanka, a fictional village in Southern India, represents many such ones across the Indian subcontinent, still caught up in the age-old customs, and superstitions that are destructive at times. The characters in this collection have each faced some form of injustice or loss. ‘A cleaning woman’s tale’ and ‘Vegetable vendor Sundari’ exemplify sex-discrimination in the village. ‘Widowhood across generations’ describes the fate of widows from all castes, classes, and age groups. ‘The matter of trans lives’ and ‘Tradition’s stranglehold’ show how despite a 2014 law formally recognizing the existence of a third gender, Hijras continue to face hate and persecution, as does the entire LGBTQ+ community. Bigotry raises its ugly head in ‘Night soil removers Kaavanna and Kondamma,’ but is condemned in an interesting reversal of fate. ‘A washerman’s dream’ is the poignant story of a washerman who with his dying breath thanks a loving family for giving him the strength to stand up to a lifetime of rejection because of his perceived low caste. The stories highlight the inherent worth and dignity of the lives of these disenfranchised groups thus challenging socially constructed divides and inequalities of caste, religion, gender, sexual orientation, and age.

Yasemin and Nirmala: A Tale of Two Teens

Yasemin and Nirmala: A Tale of Two Teens PDF Author: Kamakshi P. Murti
Publisher: Leadstart Publishing Pvt Ltd
ISBN: 9356674698
Category : Young Adult Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 160

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Book Description
It’s difficult enough being a teenage girl. Add to that being an immigrant, and then having a disability as well. That’s life for both Yasemin and Nirmala. They struggle with what they perceive as their ‘unfinished’ bodies – Yasemin lost her arm in a car accident and Nirmala was born with cerebral palsy. When the end-of-the-year performance "Seussical the Musical" approaches, the two girls desperately want to take part, but are afraid they will be rejected and laughed at. However, as their bond grows, they discover their potential and overcome their fears. Together, they learn they are unstoppable. This story offers a glimpse into the challenges of teen life in today’s immigrant societies. A diverse cast of characters offers a wide array of perspectives into the complex journey towards adulthood. While everyone is born different, our dreams unite us.

Lalli's Window

Lalli's Window PDF Author: Kamakshi P. Murti
Publisher: Austin Macauley
ISBN: 9781786930279
Category : Children's stories
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
Losing a Part of You Can Bring About the Greatest Gain When eleven-year-old Lalli recuperates from an accident, her world is defined by what she sees outside her bedroom window. But when Lalli witnesses the strange reaction by her old and slightly odd neighbors to a letter they've received, little could she have envisioned what the consequences would be. Not only for Lalli but for the wonderful Mr. Steave. Featuring a soccer-mad brother, cool home-schooling teacher for a father and a gifted Mennonite violinist, Kamakshi P. Murti has woven a story around the life of a young South-Asian American girl, which, at its core, has the universal themes of family forgiveness, true friendship and the power of neighborly love.

Murders Most Matronly

Murders Most Matronly PDF Author: Kamakshi Murti
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781707540921
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 228

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Book Description
Cousins Leela and Meena Rao, widows of twin brothers, lead quiet retired lives in Tucson, Arizona, until a serial killer descends on their South-Asian community, targeting elderly women. Leela is a retired professor of behavioral clinical psychology from the University of Arizona, and Meena a retired corporate lawyer. They persuade Deputy Chief of Police Murali Kalluri to let them assist him in catching the killer. Their sleuthing instincts turn out to be invaluable. As the killer's behavior escalates, however, Kalluri realizes that his two assistants fit the profile of the victims.

Murders in the Ivory Tower

Murders in the Ivory Tower PDF Author: Kamakshi P. Murti
Publisher: Vanguard Press
ISBN: 9781800161719
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 170

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Book Description
Two crime-fighting South-Asian cousins, Leela and Meena Rao are back on the scene of multiple killings in this compelling murder mystery by Kamakshi Murti, author of Murders Most Matronly. The cousins' ambition is to emulate Christie's Jane Marple - in this latest story, they become embroiled in a series of gruesome homicides. After a bloody discovery at the prestigious Anderson College of star quarterback Sean O'Flaherty, staff and students are drawn into the lives of drug-consumed, Ivy League collegians. When a second body is found, that of a popular Zimbabwean TA in the African Studies department, the cousins must establish how and why these two students have become inextricably linked. As more killings come to light, they seem to point towards radicalism, but are they as straightforward as they seem or is someone trying to distract from the real motive? Faced with a surfeit of suspects, will Leela and Meena be able to obtain justice for the heinous crimes and reveal the truth?

The Golden Warrior

The Golden Warrior PDF Author: Naveen Rajaka
Publisher: Leadstart Publishing Pvt Ltd
ISBN: 935458280X
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 168

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Book Description
An evil supernatural entity has returned after 300 years to fulfil his insidious intention. He wants to achieve something that no one has – immortality. He captures 300 innocent children to offer them for sacrifice to complete the ritual. Asmi, one of the kidnapped children, has a little brother who takes it upon himself to save the only family he has. Erish, merely 8 years old and specially-abled with a twisted arm, embarks on a long and perilous journey to reach the Golden Warrior, the only one who has the power to vanquish the evil. With only a fortnight’s time to find this Warrior “born out of flames” and innumerable challenges to pass through in the journey, Erish realises he only has his iron will to bank on. From fighting a man-eating humanoid to having to resist electric shocks, will he overcome all the hurdles and pain in his way to save his sister And there is price to be paid to use the powers of the Golden Warrior, a price that could cost him his own life. Will he be able to make the sacrifice?

You Are a Zero

You Are a Zero PDF Author: Rohit Sai Chetla
Publisher: Leadstart Publishing Pvt Ltd
ISBN: 9354585019
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 232

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Book Description
Arjun had everything a teenager could dream of – good lifestyle, supportive parents, great friends, the love of his life - Harshu, and the ambition to be successful one day. A tragedy befell, throwing him into pain and misery. He found himself at a crossroad, disillusioned by the education system, without his love by his side, questioning the meaning of life itself. And thus began his descent into chaos, drugs, and alcohol. Will Arjun survive and come out of this turmoil? Will life lend him a helping hand? Will he be able to cope with the realities of the world?

To Veil Or Not to Veil

To Veil Or Not to Veil PDF Author: Kamakshi P. Murti
Publisher: Peter Lang Pub Incorporated
ISBN: 9783034308595
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 237

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Book Description
Immigration has become a contentious issue in Europe in recent decades, with immigrants being accused of resisting integration and threatening the secular fabric of nationhood. The most extreme form of this unease has invented and demonized an Islamic 'other' within Europe. This book poses central questions about this global staging of difference. How has such anxiety increased exponentially since 9/11? Why has the Muslim veil been singled out as a metaphor in debates about citizenship? Lastly, and most fundamentally, who sets the criteria for constructing the ideal citizen?<BR> This study explores the issue of gender and immigration in the national contexts of Germany and France, where the largest minority populations are from Turkey and North Africa, respectively. The author analyzes fictional works by the Turkish-German writers Emine Sevgi Ozdamar and Zafer Şenocak and by Francophone writer Malika Mokeddem. All three deconstruct binary oppositions and envision an alternate third space that allows them to break out of the confines of organized religion. In the latter part of the book, the voices of young Muslim women are foregrounded through interviews. The concluding chapter on the pedagogical tool Deliberative Dialogue suggests ways to navigate such contentious issues in the Humanities classroom."

Murder in the Coconut Groves

Murder in the Coconut Groves PDF Author: Kamakshi Murti
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781792937590
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 176

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Book Description
Leela and Meena, those reckless female sleuths, return fifty years later to the village in Southern India where their parents had given them away in marriage to identical twin brothers. Bureau Chief Murali Kalluri's grandfather has died, and Murali's wife Meghna begs the cousins to persuade Murali to witness the old man's last rites. Knowing how devastating it would be for Murali's paternal aunts if he stayed away, they tell the Bureau Chief that they are willing to accompany him to the old country. The reasons for Murali's hatred for his grandfather become increasingly clear as the cousins delve into the Kalluri family history. As they find several skeletons in the Kalluri family history, they are confronted by a fifty-year old murder. A female toddy worker in the coconut groves had been violently stabbed to death as the cousins were preparing for their weddings. And now this past comes back to haunt them. Who was the victim? Why was she killed and by whom? Suddenly, the peaceful village of Amalaapuram is plagued by more killings. Whoever the murderer is doesn't want the cousins to delve too closely into the past!

Murder by Totem

Murder by Totem PDF Author: Kamakshi Murti
Publisher: Independently Published
ISBN: 9781797516622
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 138

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Book Description
The murder of a peer of the realm on an Alaskan cruise ship? Sir Richard Edgewood is found dead in his Royal Suite. And cousins Leela and Meena Rao, looking forward to peace and quiet since their retirement from academia and corporate life respectively, find themselves dragged, albeit quite willingly, into investigating the homicide. Against the backdrop of the Mendenhall Glacier, the South-Asian-American cousins are faced with multiple persons of interest. Who is the real murderer? The enigmatic nature of the killing baffles even these two oh-so-savvy women!