Shiva's Fire

by Suzanne Fisher Staples Narrated by Christina Moore

Overview

Born in the South of India during a storm that destroys her village, Parvati is immediately recognized as a child with mystical abilities. As Parvati grows she feels compelled to dance as if music is a part of her body. But whenever she does, magical things happen. Regarded with fear and suspicion by the rest of the village, Parvati and her mother have a hard life until the day a master of classical dance comes to see her and offers her a chance to study with him. After years of sacrifice, Parvati is on the verge of realizing all of her dreams when she meets a young man born on the same day as she. He is someone who has magical abilities of his own. Now, for the first time, Parvati questions what her true destiny is. Suzanne Fisher Staples, author of Shabanu and Haveli has created a lyrical novel steeped in the traditions and customs of India. Christina Moore provides the perfect voice for Parvati, a spirited and dedicated heroine.

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

If not for references to modern technology, this tale set in India might defy chronology; the folkloric narrative, primal settings and universal themes confer a timeless quality. Parvati, the heroine, has a mystical aura; some villagers think she carries doom because her birth coincided with an unprecedented cyclone that devastated the entire region. Parvati does not know if she is to blame for the destruction caused by the storm or the famine that followed, but she retains a memory of everything she has witnessed since infancy. As she grows up, animals flock to her, seemingly communing with her, and when music is played, Parvati cannot keep her feet still, no matter how hard she tries. Eventually, Parvati's talent for dance and spiritual gifts win her a scholarship to a gurukulam (a school run by a great teacher). But devoting herself to her studies requires sacrifices Parvati has not even dreamt of. The Hindu concept of dharma is as intricately woven into this saga as decorative threads are woven into Parvati's elaborate dance costumes. Staples's (Shabanu; Haveli) deceptively plain prose conjures a variety of moods, textures and images. Poetically and suspensefully expressing the sorrows and joys of the spiritual life as well as the life of the artist, this is a spellbinder. Ages 12-up. (Apr.) Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.|

DEC/JAN 01 - AudioFile

India is the setting for Suzanne Staples’s story of Pavrati, a child with great and magical gifts. Born on the day of a devastating cyclone which causes her father’s death, Pavrati, along with her mother, is shunned by the townspeople. When a guru arrives and requests that Pavrati come to his school to learn the dancing arts of the devadasi, a new world of possibilities unfolds. Christina Moore is a gentle narrator. Her firm voice and belief in Parvati’s goodness carry the listener as Pavrati triumphantly returns to dance for the maharaja’s birthday. As Pavrati becomes acquainted with Rama, the maharaja’s son, who also has many gifts, Moore underscores the tension between Pavrati’s devotion to dance and the possibilities of friendship and love. Moore does not rush, and her pauses allow the listener to reflect and to anticipate subsequent events. Listen and enjoy! A.R. © AudioFile 2000, Portland, Maine

Product Details

BN ID:	2940170729739
Publisher:	Recorded Books, LLC
Publication date:	08/19/2011
Edition description:	Unabridged

Read an Excerpt

"After a year most students are not ready to perform. There is so much to learn! A dancer from this gurukulam cannot go before the public until she is a master."

Parvati's heart ached with disappointment, but she said nothing. The Guru laughed a kindly laugh and Parvati lowered her eyes.

"But you are different," he said.

"How do you mean, 'different,' sir?" she asked. The Guru grew very serious.

"It's easy for me to see why you are impatient. The music is a part of you; it's as if you've always known how to dance."

Parvati wondered whether the Guru knew about her causing the cyclone and dancing in the fire, about the cobra and all the ways in which she was different. She looked back down at the floor for a moment, as if the answers she sought might lie imbedded in the straw mat.

"What is it?" he asked. She swallowed hard before she spoke.

"All my life people have thought of me as 'different.' Some people blame all sorts of things on me. It has caused my poor mother nothing but trouble. That is how I know I am different. Because of me my mother is an outcast in our village. And now you talk as if this 'differentness' is good!"

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