Author Vrinda Sheth to Speak at Downtown Library

Join Author Vrinda Sheth on Saturday, January 26, at 2 p.m. in the Foundation Room of the Alachua County Library Headquarters downtown. She will discuss her latest book for young readers, Shadows of the Sun Dynasty, An Illustrated Series Based on the Ramayana,

Amazon describes the book as “A truly original reimagining of the classic Indian epic, the Ramayana, as told primarily through the eyes of the women behind the throne. Shadows of the Sun Dynasty reveals an entirely new perspective on an ancient story.”

From Kirkus Review: “Sheth offers young readers a Ramayana with all the grandeur of myth but also with rounded, relatable human characters who give the story some needed emotional weight. An impressive recounting of an ancient South Asian legend.”

A graduate of the University of Florida, Sheth was born in Sweden and raised on stories from ancient India. She began writing while studying classical dance in Kalakshetra, South India.

The book is heavily illustrated, thanks to Anna Johansson, Sheth’s mother, a watercolor artist. Johansson’s artwork is inspired by the mystical yoga tradition of ancient India.

The mother-daughter team has worked together on the Sita’s Fire trilogy for over a decade. Their first book won an Independent Publisher Book Award, received an honorable mention at the New York Book Show, and was a finalist in the USA Best Book Awards.