Ashes for the Elephant God

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Summary: Reincarnation, an ageless concept
Review: "Ashes For The Elephant God" finds its basis in anancient concept, still alive in most Asian cultures, calledreincarnation. According to this belief, after death the soul returns to reincarnate in a newborn body and continues this cycle until all the lessons are learned, and time comes to migrate to a higher plane. The historians tell us that this belief was common in the Middle East during the life of Christ, and several references to this concept exist in the Old and the New Testament, although most of them were expurged from the Bible during a papal council in Nicea in 325 AD.

After the first World War, a renewed interest for the supernatural spurred scientific research on this matter. More recently, more and more curious minds explore pas lives under hypnosis, and some of the staunchest skeptics discover startling evidence of their previous incarnations. This hot subject is now spreading among the western world.

Whether you see "Ashes For The Elephant God" as a fantasy of the mind or a map to a higher understanding of the universe, the author's skills, the suspenseful plot, and the compelling characters will not fail to seduce your imagination.

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Summary: Invitation to live and love in India.
Review: Dear Reader:

If you like to be transported to a rich land of total evasion, if you like a fast, easy read, an uplifting story, an inspiring tale with a spiritual twist, you are in for a treat. Those of you who have been to India will relish the trip back while others will revel in discovery. But be prepared to carry this book close at all times, for you'll hate to let go of it. The suspense is that good.

The inspiration for this novel came from my own life in India, while I studied Yoga and translated from English into French spiritual texts about Cashmire Shivaism. Many of the anecdotes and psychic phenomena in the book are based on true experiences. The turbulent and suspenseful love story, of course, is the product of my overly active imagination, although I did meet my second husband in India.

Happy reading!

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Summary: Reincarnated love
Review: In France, Seventeen year old Jean-Francois died of AIDS. His last wish was for his sister, Fabienne Beranger, to take his ashes to India and scatter them over the Narmada River. Once done, Fabienne found she wanted to stay awhile. There, she learned that she had been reincarnated. Back in 1849, she had been known as Lakshmi. She had been a commoner. (Her fiancé had been Mukunda.) Lakshmi had been murdered, trampled under an elephant, by a Kali worshiper. Princess Korana had wanted Mukunda in her bed. When told of Lakshmi's death, Mukunda directed his anger at the princess, knowing she had somehow been responsible. He died, never seeing his beloved again.

Mukunda was reincarnated as an American. He was called "Sahib" by all, but had the honor of being renamed by a swami named Baba. He was renamed, amazingly, Mukunda. He was the chief engineer of the dam project in India. The project had about ten more months of work to be completed. He met Kora, who worked in the beauty shop. She had an Australian accent in today's world. (But you guessed it, she was the Princess Korana from the past!) She, again, wanted Mukunda as her own.

Once again, Mukunda and Fabienne were reunited in love. Yet, once again, Kora would try to tear them apart!

* Author, Vijaya Schartz, succeeded in making Princess Korana the type of villain that everyone loves to hate! That alone shows major talent! The story was slow to start off, but once done (and it did not take too long) I was hooked! The book blended the past and present so well that, while reading, I was not sure which time intrigued me more, 1849 or present date. In fact, I'm still not sure! The characters were well developed. By the ending, I even saw Kora in a different light. An extremely satisfying read! *

Rating:
Summary: Praise for the Elephant God
Review: It is rare to find an author so dedicated to her craft as Vijaya Schartz. The setting is beautiful, characters believable. The book is carefully plotted to keep the reader wanting more. I highly reccommend this book.

Rating:
Summary: Praise for the Elephant God
Review: It is rare to find an author so dedicated to her craft as Vijaya Schartz. The setting is beautiful, characters believable. The book is carefully plotted to keep the reader wanting more. I highly reccommend this book.

Rating:
Summary: A striking and highly recommended metaphysical novel.
Review: To scatter her brother's ashes over the Narmada River, Fabienne leaves France for the fabled India of her childhood dreams. Soon, as she awakens to a newfound spirituality, unexpected visions of a former life during the Raj stir ancient yearnings for a long lost passion. Mukunda, the palace architect Fabienne loved in another life a century and a half earlier, lives again as an American engineer and works on the local dam project. But, in this karmic land of the blue gods, the Kali worshiper who murdered the two lovers in a faraway past also awaits. Ashes For The Elephant God is a striking and highly recommended metaphysical novel about love, reincarnation, spiritual awakenings, suspense -- all set against the twin backdrops of modern and ancient India.

Rating:
Summary: An enjoyable read
Review: Vijaya Schartz paints a vivid picture. Reading her book truly transports you to India. It's both descriptive and emotive. The reason I rank it as 3 stars is that it is not a complex story or a challenging "read." It is fun and offers an armchair vacation. I enjoyed it, I just wasn't challenged and didn't read/ learn anything new. Don't let that stop you from getting it. This is the perfect book to read on the beach, while commuting or on a rainy day.