In My Hands Today…

A Thousand Miles to Freedom: My Escape from North Korea – Eunsun Kim, Sébastien Falletti and translated by David Tian

Eunsun Kim was born in North Korea, one of the most secretive and oppressive countries in the modern world. As a child Eunsun loved her country…despite her school field trips to public executions, daily self-criticism sessions, and the increasing gnaw of hunger as the country-wide famine escalated.

By the time she was eleven years old, Eunsun’s father and grandparents had died of starvation, and Eunsun too was in danger of starving. Finally, her mother decided to escape North Korea with Eunsun and her sister, not knowing that they were embarking on a journey that would take them nine long years to complete. Before finally reaching South Korea and freedom, Eunsun and her family would live homeless, fall into the hands of Chinese human traffickers, survive a North Korean labor camp, and cross the deserts of Mongolia on foot.

Now, in A Thousand Miles to Freedom, Eunsun is sharing her remarkable story to give voice to the tens of millions of North Koreans still suffering in silence. Told with grace and courage, her memoir is a riveting exposé of North Korea’s totalitarian regime and, ultimately, a testament to the strength and resilience of the human spirit.

In My Hands Today…

Proud: My Fight for an Unlikely American Dream – Ibtihaj Muhammad and Lori L. Tharps

Growing up in New Jersey as the only African American Muslim at school, Ibtihaj Muhammad always had to find her own way. When she discovered fencing, a sport traditionally reserved for the wealthy, she had to defy expectations and make a place for herself in a sport she grew to love.

From winning state championships to three-time All-America selections at Duke University, Ibtihaj was poised for success, but the fencing community wasn’t ready to welcome her with open arms just yet. As the only woman of color and the only religious minority on Team USA’s saber fencing squad, Ibtihaj had to chart her own path to success and Olympic glory.

Proud is a moving coming-of-age story from one of the nation’s most influential athletes and illustrates how she rose above it all.

In My Hands Today…

The Indian Conservative : A History of Indian Right-Wing Thought – Jaithirth Jerry Rao

Right-wing thought has a long and ancient tradition in India.

In this riveting book, Jaithirth Rao traces its history, explores its philosophical underpinnings and different manifestations, and defines it as conservatism – a philosophy that rejects radical, reactionary and utopian positions and argues for change that evolves gradually and peacefully, preserves features of the past that are constructive and worth cherishing, and believes in a minimalist state that protects individual liberties even as it promotes policies that work on the ground.

Hindu nationalism and the Bharatiya Janata Party are among the many offshoots of this tradition. Focusing on five areas – The economy, politics, culture, society and aesthetics – Rao examines the rich contribution that Indian conservatism could make in each of these fields in contemporary India. Lively, eloquent and provocative, this is a book that will stimulate much thought, discussion and debate as it challenges the dogmas of the left and the extreme right and raises the key issues that engage India today.

In My Hands Today…

Have I Told You This Already?: Stories I Don’t Want to Forget to Remember – Lauren Graham

With her signature sense of humor and down-to-earth storytelling, Lauren Graham opens up about her years working in the entertainment business—from the sublime to the ridiculous—and shares personal stories about everything from family and friendship to the challenges of aging gracefully in Hollywood. In “RIP Barneys New York,” she writes about an early job as a salesperson at the legendary department store — and the time she inadvertently shoplifted; in “Ne Oublie” she warns us about the perils of coming from an extremely forgetful family; and in “Actor-y Factory” she recounts what a day in the life of an actor looks like (unless you’re Brad Pitt).

Filled with surprising anecdotes, sage advice, and laugh-out-loud observations, Graham’s latest collection of all-new, original essays showcases the winning charm and wit that she’s known for.

In My Hands Today…

The White Hindu – Ambaa

Is it possible for a non-Indian woman, an American of European decent, to be a Hindu?
Sometimes the religion that you’re born into isn’t the right one for you. What happens when the religion you fall in love with is one that traditionally does not accept converts? Both an ethnicity and a way of life, Hinduism is considered by many to belong only to Indians.

Ambaa, a white woman in America, forged her own path into Hinduism. Her spiritual journey through writing and connecting with others shows the power of pure religion to overcome the boundaries and separations of race and ethnicity.

Her story is a fascinating journey of a young woman’s struggle to find identity in the melting pot of America. There are more and more white Hindus and non-Indian Hindus every day. How do they make a place for themselves in one of the world’s oldest religions? Do they take on Indian culture and customs as well as religion? Or do they make it their own?

This book is for anyone who wonders:
Can we explore and connect to a religion that is not traditionally followed by our ancestors?
What does Hinduism look like through non-Indian eyes?
What is the importance or the place of spirituality in our lives?

The essays in this book, based on the popular White Hindu blog, explore a variety of the issues that non-Indian Hindus struggle with…

Is it possible to convert to Hinduism?
Why is Ambaa so concerned with skin color?
How important is culture in the practice of Hinduism?
What does polytheism really look like in practice?
This book is a collection of essays about culture, identity, religion, language, and humanity tracing one woman’s spiritual journey from defensiveness to peace.