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Yasodhara and the Buddha

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What to expect

Bloomsbury presents Yasodhara and the Buddha by Vanessa R. Sasson, read by Ezra Saifie

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.

Critics Review

Sasson's Yasodhara and the Buddha explores the emotional dimensions to the story of the Buddha while also making new connections in familiar material ... to brilliant effect.
Times Literary Supplement
Yasodhara and the Buddha by Professor Sasson is a seminal and original contribution to Buddhism literature in terms of the life of the Buddha. An inherently fascinating, impressively informative, exceptionally well written, and thoroughly entertaining, Yasodhara and the Buddha is especially and unreservedly recommended for community, college and university library collections.
Midwest Book Review
Sasson’s book is a page-turner, an enchanting fairytale, and at the same time grounded in the realities of the human condition. I was captured and pulled into the events of a time and place to which I was already predisposed. It opened my eyes to the human side of Buddha’s story.
Shambhala Times
Vanessa R. Sasson combines the spirit of fiction with the beauty of Indian mythology and in-depth academic research. She shares the evocative story of the Buddha from the perspective of a forgotten woman: Yasodhara, the Buddha’s wife.
Integral Yoga Magazine
Yasodhara and the Buddha is splendid for conjuring visions of floating, of gods and a tree watching over Buddha, of doors of flowers in the forests, or of love walking in the form of a man as it speaks about human ways of comprehending life.
Asian Book of Reviews
A feminist rendering of an ancient myth, Yasodhara and the Buddha lovingly revives the story of the Buddha’s spouse for modern readers. Written by a religious scholar, the novel comes complete with scholarly sources, tracing its roots to the tradition of epic Indian religious storytelling. Marvellous.
Historical Novel Society
Sasson creates a more vibrant story world by borrowing historical information and rich imagination, making the images of Yasodhara and the Buddha more three-dimensional and distinctive. ... [T]his book is highly innovative, with a unique research perspective and a lively and readable story.
Religious Studies Review
Author Vanessa R. Sasson
Narrator Ezra Saifie
Duration 11 hours and 33 minutes
Release Date
ISBN 9781350625396
Format Audiobook
Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing
Genre Buddhism, Feminism and feminist theory, Religious aspects of sexuality, gender and relationships, Traditional stories, myths and fairy tales
Availability AU, GB, IE, US

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