By combining the spirit of fiction with the fabulism of Indian mythology and indepth academic research Vanessa R Sasson shares the evocative story of the Buddha from the perspective of a forgotten woman Yasodhara the Buddhas wife Although often marginalized Yasodharas narrative here comes to life Written with a strong feminist voice we encounter Yasodhara as a fiercely independent passionate and resilient individual We witness her joys and sorrows her expectations and frustrations her fairytale wedding and her overwhelming devastation at the departure of her belovedIt is through her eyes that we witness Siddhatthas slow transformation from a sheltered prince to a deeply sensitive young man On the way we see how the gods watch over the future Buddha from the clouds how the king and his ministers try to keep the suffering of the world from him and how he eventually renounces the throne his wife and newlyborn son to seek enlightenment Along with a foreword from Wendy Doniger the book includes a scholarly introduction to Yasodharas narrative and offers extensive notes along with study questions to help readers navigate the traditional literature in a new way making this an essential book for anyone wanting to learn about Buddhist narratives
