Paging through pandemic: Reading gets a COVID lift
Two years ago, pediatrician-turned-author Sayantani DasGupta published the first in what became a best-selling trilogy of children’s books. Revolving around an Indian girl who makes her home in New Jersey before embarking on an adventure to save the multiverse, the “Kiranmala and the Kingdom Beyond” series may be fanciful but it began with a serious goal: to broaden the idea of who a hero or heroine can be.
“It’s hard to be what you can’t see,” says Ms. DasGupta, a writer of Indian heritage who was raised in the United States.
Yet it’s not just the fictional Kiranmala who serves as a role model but also Ms. DasGupta herself. The writer prizes face-to-face interactions with fans during school visits and book tours. “They’re able to
Will e-books overtake print?Books are ‘pandemic-proof’