#BookReview: Into The Great Heart by Kamla K. Kapur
Title: Into The Great Heart
Author: Kamla K. Kapur
Publisher: Jaico Publishing House
Published on: 22nd July 2018
Binding: Paperback
ISBN:978-9387944107
" You are my Angad...a part of me, you are my successor."
BLURB
Into the Great Heart carries forward and concludes the stories of Guru Nanak and Bhai Mardana, his favourite minstrel, from the first volume of the Sikh saga, The Singing Guru. History, legend and fiction merge to populate this book with fascinating personalities from Sikh history. Pivotal to this narrative are forgotten female luminaries such as Guru Nanak’s wife, Mata Sulakhni, his sister, Bebe Nanaki, Bhai Lehna’s wife, Khivi and daughter Amro. Brought to the foreground, their wisdom and insights as they overcome obstacles to spiritual growth embody the basic tenets of Sikhism in everyday living. They enhance Guru Nanak and Bhai Lehna’s tale with their diverse approach to life.
Filled with captivating characters that enrich the tapestry of this compelling narrative, Into the Great Heart is a must-read for anyone who loves a rich story about human nature in its search for spiritual awareness.
COVER PAGE
The cover page of the book Into the Heart Of hope is so beautiful having image of Baba Nanak and others. The background colour of yellow is very. It is a very attractive and a nice cover.
REVIEW
When I got Into the Great Heart in my hands , I was very excited to read it. Belonging to a Punjabi family, I have grown up listening to stories of Sikh gurus from my grandparents which made me all the more curious to read the book. There are few books which leaves a mark in your life and this book is one of them. Till now, it is one my favourite books of the year 2018. The book is second book in the Sikh saga series.
Into The Great Heart revolves around Bhai Lehna, an ardent follower of Maa Durga who visited Kirtarpur along with his daughter Amro just to see Baba Nanak out of curiousity and through the book, the reader gets to know a lot about Bhai Lehna and his love for Baba Nanak and how he becomes the successor of Baba Nanak. The book is divided into two halves- The Dancing Guru: Lehna and Into the Great Heart. It is a very well researched book.
Into The Great heart is a very heartwarming read which I read slowly and patiently tying to take in as much as I can. It took me away from the reality to a totally different world. The way it is penned is so marvellous in a very subtle and lyrical language which flowing like a fluid that made me immerse into the book. Author's writing style is very innovative which made me stick to the book. It is not a book that is listing down the teachings of Guru Nanak Devji rather it is in form of a story with such an amazing narration involving all the historic events like the mention of Aurangzeb and the daily activities. The pace is not too fast nor slow, it very calmly moves at its own pace. There are so many versus of Baba Nanak in the book which I loved.
The book holds a lot of characters such as Baba Nanak, Bhai Lehna, Bhai Mardana, Buddha, Bebe Sulakhni, Bebe Nanaki, Aziza and various others. All the major characters are very well evolved and developed and are very realistic. I really liked how the female characters were so strong. Each character in the story holds a very prominent place. I was amazed reading about the love between Baba Nanak and Bhai Mardana and I loved the portions of Bhai Mardana's narration. Budhha was the main narrator of the story and I loved the relation between Aziza and Buddha. The author has done a fantastic job.
The book teaches a lot about life in a very simple way. It has imparted a lot of information about the Sikh community and their practices such as listening shabads, langars they conduct and others. It has made me think a lot and helped me change my perspective towards a lot of issues in life. The story is so enlightening that it touched my heart in a great manner and gave me a sense of calmness. I don't know how many times I discussed the tales in the book with my grandparents.
Overall, Into the Great Heart is a beautiful book which enlightens the reader, draws the history of Sikhism through a wonderful story. It is an amazing work. I really loved this book which taught me a lot. It made me cry as well as smile. I would highly recommend this book to everyone.
Buy the book here: https://www.amazon.in/Into-Great-Heart-Kamla-Kapur/dp/9387944107
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kamla K. Kapur (aka Kamal Kapur) was born and raised in India, and is a citizen of the United States. She got her Bachelor's in English Honors from India, and her Masters' Degree in literature from Kent State University, Ohio,USA. She also took classes in creative writing from the University of Iowa, and the University of California in San Diego. During her time in the USA, many of her poems were published in prestigious American journals and quarterlies. Kamla K Kapur’s previous books include Classic Tales from Mystic India and Pilgrimage to Paradise. She is also a poet (As a Fountain in a Garden, Radha Speaks), a short story writer and an award winning playwright. She and her husband, Payson R. Stevens, live half the year in the Kullu Valley in the Himalayas and the other half in Southern California, USA.
*I received a free copy of the book from Writersmelon in exchange of an honest and an unbiased review.
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Thank You
Happy Reading!
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