E-Paper
HT Picks; New Reads
On the reading list this week is a photobook about a protest that saved a homeland, and a beautifully illustrated tale for young adults, and adults forever young at heart
A celebration of civic resistance
This book of photographs takes us to the West Khasi Hills in Meghalaya and the defining moment when 90-year-old Kong Spillity Lyngdoh Langrin, under whose land lay a rich seam of high-grade uranium, stood up and told those who sought to mine it:
“Em”. No
That refusal turned into a rallying cry for a people fighting to save their homeland.
Tarun Bharitya’s compelling images, made over several decades, and his terse journal notes, distill Kong Spillity’s defiance and the protest it inspired into a moving celebration of civic resistance.*
On the joys of connection
Somewhere in the Himalayas, Quillo, a baby hedgehog, crawls into the most beautiful story: that of his life. He is surrounded and loved by a motley crowd that has Lonī, a vegan wolf, Whoo, an owl who sees best with his eyes closed, Onj, an orange-beaked chough who always has fresh news to share, and Bushkit, a talkative squirrel. Quillo has crucial choices to make — should he grow into a wolf like Lonī? Should he learn to fly? What to have for dinner? While life in the forest is often raw, messy and imperfect, Quillo’s friends tell him that ‘Mess is a message, too: that this dusk’s rainclouds will cleanse tomorrow’s dawn.’ Little Quillo discovers the joys of connections, learns that the simple act of not holding back creates abundance. That the most precious things in life are often unseen. With some help from a magic pebble, he can even touch his core. A field of dandelions in bloom holds perhaps the toughest lesson of all. Nothing, just nothing, can prepare Quillo for the life-changing event in the pine groves. This is a tale for young adults, and adults forever young at heart. Over 40 mixed-media collages add texture — literally, and figuratively — and richness to the story. This is the first time such collages, with definite cross-generational appeal, have been used for literary fiction. Much of the author’s inspiration comes from her experiences as a travel writer, and her deep connection with nature. The majesty of the rugged Himalayas, and the hardships of travelling among them for decades, have taught her to treat her fellow beings with kindness, and her own self with quite a bit of irreverence. In The Dandelions Have It these influences bring an authentic sense of place, gentle wisdom and humour that will resonate with kindred souls.*
All copy from book flap.
