INTERNATIONAL REVIEWS:
FICTION (BIRTHDAY DEATHDAY)
"Fiction to brighten the dismal horizon. These are very solid stories, written in dense, rounded prose... creating an almost tangible atmosphere out of vivid descriptions and sharp little bursts of dialogue. (Quality) illuminates this admirable collection."
-The London Times, UK
"Whether in the story of a great-aunt - 'the first adult who makes a present to me of her failings' - or of a light-fingered holy man, or a young wife running away from her hypercritical and insecure husband, (the author) is humorous, compassionate, wise and elegant. Quite perfect.
-The Times, Canberra, Australia
"Passionate accounts of India and its transformation - challenging archaic and cruel customs without sacrificing the spirituality of her Hindu culture. She relates subtly and unforgettably the influence of female ancestry... (of) women as the strength and centre of family life."
-The Weekly Mail, Johannesburg, South Africa
“Marvelously described: 'thrown open with every window to every scrap and pain of life.' Fine prose and passionate vitality."
-The Irish Times, Dublin
“The quality of thought and language, the philosophic orientation of her prose... makes most modern writers appear shallow and callous."
-The San Francisco Chronicle
"A vision of both strength and delicacy, BIRTHDAY DEATHDAY gives us some unflinching truths about our life on this subcontinent."
-The Times of India
"Underlying the stories is the continuing effect of white racism; but local prejudice or mistaken adherence to ancient values are not excused either... Abundant moments of insight help us work out our own self-transformations.”
-Book Fair Newsletter, Oslo, Norway
“Time, Indian time, with its layered complexities is at the heart of this talented collection (Birthday Deathday). 'Did you know that the language in some of the Vedic texts has no present tense? Because the moment a word is uttered, it is past.' "
-The Guardian, UK
“She has a gift that few writers possess: prose that bridges cultures.... Precise language and thoughtful interweaving of images and ideas by a remarkably sensitive and skilled author."
-The Christian Science Monitor
“An understanding of human nature lies at the root of her work. She captures our secret lives... (and) paints an absorbing picture in a few words."
-The Indian Express
"(Her) vision of displacement and strength is a personal hard-won wisdom of more than personal relevance."
-Culture Shock, UK
Demonstrates an almost intimidating control of her material. Fine letters, these, most closely crafted and far-ranging... Careful examinations of the dynamics in Indian life, of the insides and outsides of families and classes."
-City Limits, London
NONFICTION (ROOM TO FLY)
"The quiet strength of ROOM TO FLY allows the reader to return to it again and again, absorbing the words and finding both beauty and sustenance. Not meant for coffee table display, but for living every day."
-Asian American Journal: International Examiner
Hejmadi’s prose is beautiful and fluid, expressing in words what is beyond words - space, motion, silence, image. Like being shown a foreign land, but not through a window. She meets us where we are, draws us in, and makes us part of her journey."
-Plymouth College Newsletter, NH
"ROOM TO FLY is a magic carpet ride to connections."
-The New Mexican"