"Elizabeth Flock takes us on an intimate cruise on the shifting sea of the heart, in the best book set in Bombay that I've read in years. Flock's total access to her characters, and her highly sympathetic and nonjudgmental gaze, prove that love and literature know no borders. Easily the most intimate account of India that I've read, and of value to anybody that believes in love and marriage."—Suketu Mehta, author of Maximum City "This remarkable debut is so deeply reported, elegantly written, and profoundly transporting that it reads like a novel you can’t put down. It’s both a nuanced and intimate evocation of Indian culture, and a provocative and exciting meditation on marriage itself."—Katie Roiphe, author of The Violet Hour In the vein of Behind the Beautiful Forevers, an intimate, deeply reported and revelatory examination of love, marriage, and the state of modern India—as witnessed through the lives of three very different couples in today’s Mumbai. In twenty-first-century India, tradition is colliding with Western culture, a clash that touches the lives of everyday Indians from the wealthiest to the poorest. While ethnicity, class, and religion are influencing the nation’s development, so too are pop culture and technology—an uneasy fusion whose impact is most evident in the institution of marriage. The Heart Is a Shifting Sea introduces three couples whose relationships illuminate these sweeping cultural shifts in dramatic ways: Veer and Maya, a forward-thinking professional couple whose union is tested by Maya’s desire for independence; Shahzad and Sabeena, whose desperation for a child becomes entwined with the changing face of Islam; and Ashok and Parvati, whose arranged marriage, made possible by an online matchmaker, blossoms into true love. Though these three middle-class couples are at different stages in their lives and come from diverse religious backgrounds, their stories build on one another to present a layered, nuanced, and fascinating mosaic of the universal challenges, possibilities, and promise of matrimony in its present state. Elizabeth Flock has observed the evolving state of India from inside Mumbai, its largest metropolis. She spent close to a decade getting to know these couples—listening to their stories and living in their homes, where she was privy to countless moments of marital joy, inevitable frustration, dramatic upheaval, and whispered confessions and secrets. The result is a phenomenal feat of reportage that is both an enthralling portrait of a nation in the midst of transition and an unforgettable look at the universal mysteries of love and marriage that connect us all.

"Here's Our Child, Where's The Village?" conveys that every child deserves the opportunity to flourish as happy, thriving and free spirited people regardless of race and the displacement factors governing their lives. The question isn't "Here's Our Child, Where's The Village?" The question is whose village will you be? "We must bear each others burdens. Though the village has been replaced by concrete and Roe v. Wade, there remains innocent children deserving of love and a safe haven. They may be parentless, but they are not Godless..." -Bruce George, Co-Founder of Def Poetry Jam "Connecting kids to permanency is paramount." Stacia C. Hammond- Executive Director/Founder Adoption Support & Consultation Services of Florida, Inc. (ASCS) "It gives me great pleasure to pen the foreword for "Here's Our Child; Where's the Village?" and participate in the efforts of the Gumbo for the Soul project. The joy one gets from a child is indescribable, but something everyone can enjoy in one capacity or another; especially if we believe in the old African Proverb, it takes a village to raise a child". -Tee C Royal, founder of RAWSISTAZ Literary Group Gumbo for The Soul Publications and logo are registered trademarks of Beverly Black Johnson. All Right Reserved www.gumboforthesoul.com Proverbs 10:14 Wise people treasure knowledge, but the babbling of a fool invites disaster.

Ernest Shackleton led two Antarctic expeditions, and died shortly after the beginning of the third. His expedition ship Endurance was trapped, then crushed in the ice, before his party could be landed, leaving his men in a hopeless situation. For months Shackleton held his party together before taking to boats and bringing everyone to safety.

Cultural anthropologist Serena Nanda mines a wide range of ethnographic research to examine the patterns of love, marriage, sexuality, and family unique to eight cultures around the world. After reviewing changing patterns in the United States, readers are taken to China, India, Brazil, Iran, Indonesia, Nigeria, the South Pacific, and Nepal to explore traditions and transformations and the intertwining dynamics of kinship, class, politics, religion, and gender roles in love and marriage. An additional chapter traces the diversity of LGBTQ relationships, with contemporary examples drawn from the US, Indonesia, and India. A valuable summary chapter features a brief analysis of similar and different cultural configurations. Nanda’s ethnographically rich examples and fresh perspective will challenge readers to understand that their own culture is not natural or superior but rather just one of many possibilities adapted to specific environments and subject to changes.

This book is a reflection of my journey through the intricate tapestry of human emotions. From a young age, I've been captivated by the power of words—how they can heal, inspire, and connect us to one another. The poems and stories within these pages are born from personal experiences, observations, and the deep emotions that bind us all together. Throughout my life, I've been blessed with a loving family whose support has been the bedrock of my existence. My mother, father, and brother have always been my pillars of strength, offering unwavering encouragement and belief in my abilities. Their love has been the guiding light that has led me to this moment, and for that, I am eternally grateful. I also owe a debt of gratitude to my friends and colleagues, whose inspiration and words of wisdom have pushed me to explore the depths of my creativity. Their encouragement has fueled my passion for writing and has helped shape the ideas and emotions captured within this book. As you turn these pages, I invite you to journey with me through the myriad emotions that define our shared human experience. Whether you find solace, inspiration, or simply a moment of reflection, I hope this book resonates with you in a meaningful way. Thank you for allowing me to share my heart with you.