New Book Release: Last Bench - by Ram Halady

Find it on Amazon HERE

Sometimes, under the weight of other people's expectations from us, we forget who we truly are and what we want from our lives. Same was the case with this young boy, Vikki, who tries so hard to live up to his namesake. Vikki is a teenager with a brilliant mind and a kind heart. He is a foodie, a die-hard Bollywood fan and, most important of all, he is a great friend. So, what will he do when a friend in need comes to him for help? To what extent will he go to save him?

Read the debut novel of Ram Halady to find out, and be ready to be moved by this endearing, coming-of-age story set against the backdrop of Bangalore in the '70s.

Reviews:

"an exceedingly sentimental tale in many respects... manages to avoid despair masquerading as profundity, or facile, manufactured triumph-and it does it all while also telling a deeply beguiling story about a memorable protagonist. Overall, it's an impressively layered novel that's as intelligent as it is charming.

A thoughtful novel that's moving and entertaining, by turns."

-Kirkus Reviews

"Libraries have plenty of choices when it comes to teen coming-of-age novels, but Last Bench stands out from the crowd with its vivid portrait of Indian culture and young adults who face daunting limitations and possibilities in their lives and family ties...filled with social, cultural, and psychological insights... a notable read that ideally should be on the reading lists"

- Diane Donovan, Midwest Book Review

New book release: Mirror in the Sand: Coming of age of a Chinese girl in 1970s Jordan - by Fawzia Tung

 

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Amman, Jordan in the 1970s and early 1980s was mushrooming from a laid-back sleepy city into a modern metropolis. In Fawzia's eleven years in the City of the Seven Hills, she too evolved from an accidental Chinese teenage immigrant into a journalist and a psychiatrist, mesmerized by its rose gold dust at sundown, its archaeological treasures littering the landscape, the generous hospitality of its people, yet also some of its harsher cultural baggage: male chauvinism, honor killings, and attitude toward psychiatric patients. Fired with youthful ardor for reform, Fawzia threw myself wholeheartedly into her work, only to find herself burned once too many times.

About the author:

Fawzia Mai Tung grew up internationally in a Chinese diplomatic family and pursued careers in journalism, psychiatry, and education before turning to full-time writing. A mother of seven and grandmother of ten, she is the author of The Wonderful Tale of Donkey Skin and Mirror in the Sand. She’s a member of several literary organizations, including SCBWI (AZ), where she led the Equity & Inclusion Team from 2019–2023. Fawzia is currently developing translations and an audiobook for Mirror in the Sand and working on multiple upcoming projects, including fairy tale retellings, cultural histories, and her memoirs.