By combining the spirit of fiction with the fabulism of Indian mythology and in-depth academic research, Vanessa R. Sasson shares the evocative story of the Buddha from the perspective of a forgotten woman: Yasodhara, the Buddha's wife.

Although often marginalized, Yasodhara's narrative here comes to life. Written with a strong feminist voice, we encounter Yasodhara as a fiercely independent, passionate and resilient individual. We witness her joys and sorrows, her expectations and frustrations, her fairy-tale wedding, and her overwhelming devastation at the departure of her beloved.

It is through her eyes that we witness Siddhattha's slow transformation, from a sheltered prince to a deeply sensitive young man. On the way, we see how the gods watch over the future Buddha from the clouds, how the king and his ministers try to keep the suffering of the world from him and how he eventually renounces the throne, his wife and newly-born son to seek enlightenment.

Along with a foreword from Wendy Doniger, the book includes a scholarly introduction to Yasodhara's narrative and offers extensive notes along with study questions, to help readers navigate the traditional literature in a new way, making this an essential book for anyone wanting to learn about Buddhist narratives.
Yasodhara and the Buddha, Vanessa R. Sasson, Bloomsbury Academic, Paperback, 304 pp, $22.95

Vanessa R. Sasson is Professor of Religious Studies in the Liberal and Creative Arts Department of Marianopolis College, Canada.

CONTENTS: Yasodhara and the Buddha
Preface Wendy Doniger		ix
Introductory Note		1
Prologue		5
1	Beginnings	11
2	Monsoon Rain	19
3	Adjustments	33
4	Durga	43
5	Festival Day	57
6	Surpanakha	71
7	The Choosing	79
8	The Peacock Garden	87
9	The Competition	95
10	Wearing the Red Line	111
11	Soil and Suffering	121
12	News	131
13	The First Sights	137
14	The Fight	151
15	In the Arms of a Tree	157
16	Departure	167
17	Sadness	181
18	Tapestries	187
19	Holding on and Letting Go	199
20	Out the Gates	207
21	Devadatta	213
22	Splendor	219
23	The Return	229
24	Overcoming Obstacles	239
25	Departures	249
Acknowledgments		255
Notes		257
Study Questions		285
Further Reading		287