Good morning Rina Singh,
(I should explain, dear blog readers, that Ontario author and teacher Rina Singh and I go way back. We met in 1983 when we were both studying in the Department of English at Concordia University. Rina had already published a book of poetry. A that point, I was just dreaming about being a writer.)
Two nights ago, I finished reading your latest book Guru Nanak. It has all your trademark touches: beautiful language, fascinating material and a touch of whimsy.
What I like best of all is that the story of Guru Nanak, The First Sikh Guru is not only for Sikhs. It's for all of us. I especially love the part where Nanak tells the yogis: "Religion lies not in wearing saffron robes/ ... It's not in fasting or going into trances/ or traveling to foreign lands or bathing in holy rivers/ It lies in seeing all men as equal." I think that's a message the world needs to hear!
I also love that you portray Guru Nanak as a real person. I don't want to give too much away to other readers, but in Rina's book, we learn that Guru Nanak faced his own personal struggles, just like we all do.
Even if I didn't already know you and love you, Rina -- even if we didn't share nearly 30 years of friendship -- I'd recommend this book to every reader out there, young or old, believer or non-believer!
Love from Mo
Guru Nanak: The First Sikh Guru, Written by Rina Singh, Illustrated by Andrée Pouliot, Groundwood Books