Yoga Hotel

July 7, 2003
East meets West in Moynihan's wry, knowing debut collection, so evocative of modern-day India that readers can smell the temple incense. The six stories feature bungling Westerners, whose insensitivity and ignorance of Indian customs stir up trouble wherever they go, and status-obsessed Indians, who at once mock and emulate their foreign visitors. "In the Heart of Braj" recounts Lila's retreat to visit Shyam Sunder, a rich American who abandoned his life of ease to take orders with a Hindu mystic. Though impressed by the peace and solitude of Shyam's religious existence, an unpleasant surprise awaits the naïve foreigner when she steps outside of his protective care. In "A Good Job in Delhi," Hari works in the home of a wealthy British rake whose unexpected benevolence saves the servant from a bleak existence and an undesirable arranged marriage. Most engaging are the stories that offer insight into the country's social mores, such as "Paying Guest" and "The Visa," which present a humorous look at the jockeying for position that occurs in India's upper castes. Moynihan's stories are full of sharp wit ("Lucy collected gurus like furniture"), but they rarely deviate from a fixed character blueprint: Western visitors are boorish, and their Indian hosts seek to exploit them. So many tiresome foreigners make an appearance that the stories become a warning for potential travelers. (Aug.)Forecast:Moynihan moved to India in the 1970s, when her father, Daniel Patrick Moynihan, was the country's U.S. ambassador; she still lives part-time in New Delhi. Her rich knowledge of India should make her an appealing interview subject.

June 15, 2003
The daughter of Daniel Patrick Moynihan, a former U.S. ambassador to India, Moynihan learned the Tibetan and Hindustani languages and acquired deep insights into Eastern culture. This first collection focuses on the uneasy relationship between Indian people and wealthy Westerners who come to India for diplomatic/economic work or spiritual quest, with the clashes that inevitably erupt depicted in amusing and thoughtful ways. The centerpiece, a novella titled "Masterji" (holy man), typifies this situation. Visitors have gathered at the home of their spiritual leader, an aged man dying of cancer, to learn which of them will be chosen to carry on his teachings. Like children, they clamor for his attention as he listens, watches, and finally sets them off on various quests that for some mark the beginning of a new vocation. Moynihan, a rock musician, clothing designer, founder of a multilingual radio show, and co-creator of a comedy duo, writes with rare clarity and mesmerizes the reader. This literary debut will be published along with a CD of music, also called Yoga Hotel. Highly recommended for both public and academic libraries.-Lisa Rohrbaugh, East Palestine Memorial P.L., OH

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