Book 3 - Holy Cow

Holy cow: An Indian Adventure
-Sarah Macdonald

My co-worker lent me this book to read after we had a conversation about the wonders of India. She travels there once a year on medical missions and I picked her brain about the country and culture. She said this book best describes everything India has to offer from the filth and poverty to the spiritual and beautiful.

This book is about the experiences of an Australian radio personality living in India for two years while her journalist husband was assigned there. Sarah had traveled to India in her early 20's and vowed never to return. She found the endless sea of beggars and pollution to be overwhelming. At the airport she encounters a beggar fortune teller who reads her palm and tells her that she will one day return to India, and return she does.

Since she is not working and her husband is frequently out of the country on assignment, Sarah takes this opportunity to explore everything India has to offer. She spends time learning about religion from the Hindus, Buddhists, Jews, Sikh, Parsi, Sufis, Yogis, and even Christians. It is this aspect of her journey that I envy the most. She is able to take a piece from each religion and carry it with her. I identify with that tremendously.

It is not all serious reflection however. Sarah also tells of her love affair with all that is Bollywood and what the singles scene looks like in New Dehli. Her adventures trying to acclimate to the Indian culture are endearing and will have you laughing.

To sum it up: I enjoyed this book immensely and recommend it to anyone with an interest in India and Indian culture. I give this book 9 out of 10.