From Ash to Ashes

A tragedy in Mira Singh's life has left her devastated and mourning. No one in her family knows how to confront the tragedy that befalls them, and they place the blame on each other, and even on God. Mira's parents do not understand the struggles of their children. Having immigrated from India in 1984, the family have all faced discrimination because of their religious background and practices. Mira's brother has faced the worst discrimination, and traumatized, he is estranged from the family.

Within this web of family tragedy and grief, forbidden love blooms in the hearts of the women in the story. Bittersweet romance, a heart-wrenching tale of love lost, and love attained tease the senses. The clash between old world sanctity and the new western world's temptations reveal the true test of character and strength in the family members. Each of them struggle not only to communicate with each other, but to understand each other's perspectives, or to relate to their different relationships with American culture and society. An exploration of assimilation and banishment, of the cost of difference and the value of family weave this powerful story together into a breathtaking novel of quiet beauty.

Krishma immigrated to the United States from India when she was five years old, and like Mira, the protagonist in her novel, grew up on Long Island and then attended NYU. She is a poet, writer, and public speaker. For a few years, she was the author of "Free Spirit," a monthly column in her hometown magazine, Brookville Living. She has an MS in Education, as well as an MS in Marketing. She has also worked as a high school social studies teacher for 11 years. She lives in New York with her husband and four children. She began writing From Ash to Ashes seventeen years ago, after the death of her first child. His loss was the inspiration for her book, and she has dedicated it to his memory. In addition to From Ash to Ashes, she is also writing a nonfiction book, titled Brown Girl's Guide, a collection of essays on womanhood and motherhood as seen through the eyes of a woman of color.