Shiva’s Pigeons

For years I had a dream about going to India and renting a little apartment with a cozy kitchen, going to the market every day, and having houseplants in my apartment. I’d settle in, learn the local language, find a job. There were several books from my local library, picture books on India, that I would check out and then renew, and renew again, and then finally take back, only to check them out again. I loved to sit at home and go through the books, page after page, trying to envision myself in India, trying to construct the context behind the photographs. My favorite book of all was called Shiva’s Pigeons, written by Rumer Godden and her sister. The photographs were in black and white, and the text was impressionistic. I loved it. I memorized the photographs, page after page.