Six years ago at the age of twenty-one, Jaed Muncharoen Coffin, a half-Thai American man, left New England's privileged Middlebury College to be ordained as a Buddhist monk in his mother's native village of Panomsarakram--thus fulfilling a familial obligation. While addressing the notions of displacement, ethnic identity, and cultural belonging, A Chant to Soothe Wild Elephants chronicles his time at the temple that rain season--receiving alms in the streets in saffron robes; bath...

A beautifully crafted memoir about fathers and sons, masculinity, and the lengths we sometimes go to in order to confront our past"[A] lucidly written memoir . . . Coffin's triumph lies in ridding the language of his father, a language that compelled him to dwell in a house he did not recognize." —Matthew Janney, The Los Angeles Review of BooksWhile lifting weights in the Seldon Jackson College gymnasium on a rainy autumn night, Jae...

"Jaed Coffin narrates these personal stories of his encounters..His quiet, calm narration has a steady, honest tone as he describes his upbringing, his relationship with his father, and the low-level fights that take him around Alaska." — AudioFile Magazine**This program is read by the author.A beautifully crafted memoir about fathers and sons, masculinity, and the lengths we sometimes go to in order to confront our past.**While lifting wei...

"The familiar tale of star-crossed lovers is revisited with gripping immediacy and compelling freshness . . . a voice readers will not soon forget" (Stephanie Kallos, national bestselling author).A fiercely beautiful love story for the ages, The Disappeared traces one woman's three-decades-long journey from the peaceful streets of Montreal to the war-torn villages of Cambodia, as a brief affair turns into a grand passion of loss and remembrance, set agains...

The book presents an absorbing account of Jim Corbetts encounters with man-eaters and those brave people who helped Jim in his exploits, as recounted by hill folk. The book further highlights the authors own encounters, adventures and experiences in the jungles.

A young insurance saleswoman is found strangled at Mitsuse Pass. Her family and friends are shocked and terrified. The pass—which tunnels through a mountainous region of southern Japan—has an eerie history: a hideout for robbers, murderers, and ghostly creatures lurking at night.Soon afterward, a young construction worker becomes the primary suspect. As the investigation unfolds, the events leading up to the murder come darkly into focus, revealing a troubled cast of characters: th...

Growing up in the Fiji Islands in the late 1960s, Kalyana Mani Seth is an impressionable, plump young girl suited to the meaning of her name: blissful, blessed, the auspicious one. Her mother educates Kalyana about her Indian heritage, vividly telling tales of mischievous Krishna and powerful Mother Kali, and recounting her grandparents’ migration to the tiny, British colony. While the island nation celebrates its recently granted independence, new stories of the feminist revolution in Ame...

Almost all visitors to Thailand will come into contact with Buddhism in some way. There are more than 200,000 monks in Thailand so you will see monks and novices out and about on the streets. There are more than 30,000 temples (wat in Thai) so you will see and may visit a temple, or several. Those lucky enough to spend some time with a Thai family will find themselves witnessing and even participating in many of the rituals and customs that are part of everyday Buddhism in Thailand....

People send their dreams and wishes floating down the Mae Ping River with the hope that those dreams will be captured, read and come true. It is a surprise what some wish for and why. One can never know what's inside someone's heart - what they really truly want, and those dreams sometimes reveal our true selves.At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

Winner of the Lowell Thomas Award for Best Travel Book, this newly designed collection paints a unique portrait of a complex and captivating land. One contributor lives as a monk for a month, gaining an inside look at monastic life. Another discovers Bangkok’s riverine pleasures, a world away from its car-choked streets. Yet another finds refuge as the houseguest of an isolated tribesman. Through these engaging personal stories, readers witness how Thailand satisfies just about any travele...

This book is a practical guide for first time visitors to Thailand to help prepare for a journey of many surprises, much beauty and some dangers to be avoided.

The Boy With A Bamboo Heart is the inspiring story of Dr Amporn Wathanavongs. Orphaned at 6 years of age in a remote village in rural Thailand, Lek was thrust into a life-long struggle to find his place in the world. Alone and impoverished, he survived by begging for food in the markets of Surin until he was recruited to fight as a boy soldier in jungles of Cambodia.Despair and poverty lead him to attempt suicide until a stranger intervened with an offer of help. Thus begins Lek’s ...