of The Sati Trilogy:
The Jealous Heart
“A great story. I could not put it down. Compelling drama and suspense—the characters come alive.”
Stephen Batchelor, author, Buddhism Without Beliefs.
“Excellent! Once again, a page-turner.”
Leigh Brasington, author, Right Concentration.
Book 2, The Sati Trilogy
The Jealous Heart:
A Hundred Hues of Green in the Time of the Buddha
In the claustrophobic setting of a royal harem, a queen gone mad with jealousy sows fear as she stalks her rival. Expanding on a Buddhist legend, The Jealous Heart, the second volume of The Sati Trilogy, tracks the unfolding tragedy within King Udena’s family in the northern Indian capital of Kosambi where murder triggers a horrific response that impacts all within the city. Amid the turmoil, monks at Ghosita’s Park, guided by the Buddha, try to provide wisdom and compassion, even while some struggle with their own challenges.
The monk Sati faces heartache over his mentor’s serious illness and is battered by the controversy that erupts over his marriage many years earlier. Then, just as the horror of the royal tragedy overtakes the town, Sati is appointed by the Buddha as the abbot of Ghosita’s Park, a role for which he feels completely unprepared.
Set in 432 B.C., the ancient tale is as familiar in its heartbreak and sickening violence as a modern news report, yet it also inspires. By portraying tender, courageous characters, characters aspiring to inner peace and freedom—all the more poignant against the darkness of the context—it offers luminous and practical wisdom to us as we seek to live in difficult times with sanity and love.
This Breath Press, 2012. Available on Amazon in paper and Kindle