1:30 CYNTHIA CLAUS
An Orchid Sari: The Personal Diary of an American Mom in 1960s India
Cynthia published her first book, An Orchid Sari: The Personal Diary of an American Mom in 1960s India, this past June. Her next book, a memoir in short stories, should come out in the first part of 2018.
A long-time resident of Philadelphia, Cynthia has lived in San Miguel since 2012. She has been an editor, writer, and proofreader for a seminary, and she taught ESL as a volunteer for 14 years. She holds a B.A. in English from Temple University.
In 1968, Cynthia and her husband Suresh, accompanied by their two-year-old son, traveled to India to present themselves to Suresh’s relatives for the first time.
In An Orchid Sari, Cynthia draws from the story faithfully captured in her personal diary, telling all that she experiences and her honest reactions to it. From impossible toilet situations to mysterious family relationships; from snake-charmers to fire-breathers; from soul-crushing bureaucracy to fouled-up reservations; and from beggars with matted hair to the Taj Mahal, Cynthia takes us on her adventure while gamely keeping her son entertained and out of danger in a society that is like nothing she could have imagined.