What inspired you to write your memoir?
For as long as I can remember I’ve had a preoccupation with India and its people, feeling drawn to go there. Life intervened, and my first visit did not take place until I was well into midlife. It was worth the wait, and I viewed it with different eyes than I would have at a younger age.
I’ve always felt quite certain that numerous past lives have been spent in India, and my immediate affinity and strong connection to the country and to the Indian and Tibetan people living there pointed to this. Later a friend, a talented professional psychic, confirmed this for me.
My partner Don and I are very fortunate to be on the same page when it comes to traveling. With our childraising years over and career transitions underway, my desire to see India overtook my homebody routines, and our first six week trip to the Indian continent was in 2007. The adventure was so successful we decided to return two years later for a longer period of time, one that would involve volunteer work as well as travel.
For three months we lived, volunteered, soaked in the culture and breathed the often arid, dusty air of the country. India turned out to be everything I imagined it would be…and more. The women and men
we met, almost without exception, in both the North India Tibetan and Indian communities and in South India, embraced us with their warmth and friendship, and a sincere desire to understand more about our country, our lifestyle and us as individuals.
An Indian Sojourn is the product of that three month journey.
About your Book:
Every section of An Indian Sojourn is its own unique vignette, describing the adventures and personal connections made in each place visited or volunteered in
.
The first part of the book is about the McLeod Ganj Tibetan refugee community, the home base of the Dalai Lama. It is the story of their culture and of the struggles and joys of the men and women who became my friends.
The second and third parts of the book follow Don and me as we explore other areas of India that attracted us. Part 2, Rajasthan, will introduce you to the ancient “outdoor art gallery” of Shekhawati, where the repression of women and the unusual energy disturbed me; to Udaipur’s relaxing,
European-like atmosphere and abundant market; the city of Jaipur, the access point for both Shekhawati and Udaipur to the south; and a brief interlude in the British hill station of Mount Abu.
Finally, in Part 3, we enter the chaos of the 20 million large city of Mumbai, where Don loved riding the rails, and we had the privilege of touring Dharavi Slum, a mind-altering experience. The final rejuvenating vacation in the South Indian Goan community of Benalim was our last
destination, before other adventures on the return trip home.
For excerpts of An Indian Sojourn, go to: ellenbesso.com
For information about India & Canada’s Tibetan Refugee Resettlement Project, go to:
facebook.com/AuthorEllenBesso
How did you decide how to publish your book and where is it published through:
I chose Amazon because it is a user friendly, economical way to publish and its wide readership. Amazon allows for both print and e-versions of my book. We are currently about to release An Indian Sojourn througjh Smashwords.
How do you see writing a Memoir as different from writing other genres of books?
Writing a memoir is a very personal experience. I wrote about wht took place in real time during the three month period in India, also revealing much of my internal process as I reacted to the many unusual and sometimes shocking events that unfolded during our journey.
Writing a spiritual travel memoir in this way opens the door to future writing as my life unfolds through future visits to India and other countries and through my sponsorship of the Tibetan family who will soon arrive in our community from remote northern India..
Author Bio:
Ellen Besso is a coach and counselor, specializing in women’s issues. Ellen has traveled and volunteered extensively throughout India. She worked for the Tibetan Women’s Association, facilitating an English and women’s empowerment program for new arrivals from Tibet. She and her partner Don are currently sponsors in the Canadian Tibetan Resettlement Program, which expects to bring 1000 displaced Tibetans to Canada over five years.
Ellen writes about her experiences in An Indian Sojourn: One Woman’s Spiritual Experience of Travel & Volunteering. Besso’s first book, Surviving Eldercare: Where Their Needs End and Yours Begin chronicle her pilgrimage with her mother who had Alzheimer’s.
Website(s)
Author Home Page Link
Link To Book On Amazon
Link to Book for sale via other sites
Your Social Media Links
http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/11007121-ellen
https://www.facebook.com/AuthorEllenBesso
https://twitter.com/EllenBesso
