Today we’d like to introduce you to Puja Shah.
Hi Puja, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
A true miracle. That is what everyone called me. I was born over 2 months premature in Queens, N.Y. to immigrant parents, yet doctors thought I wouldn’t survive. Through the power of Sanskrit mantras, I was given the name Puja, which means prayer in Sanskrit. Eventually, I grew up to defy teachers who questioned my English skills as a first-generation immigrant by winning numerous poetry and short story awards in my youth.
As an avid reader, I spent my teen years exploring New York City for poetry slams and book readings. Education was always important to my parents. And for me, writing has always been my passion. As a first-born child, passion was not something we spoke about in an immigrant family. There were 3 career tracks that my parents found worthy, the ones that got them (and immigrants like them) out of India and to America. These were to be a doctor, lawyer, or engineer.
Ironically, while living in “the land of opportunity,” it was not easy for them to assimilate, to be treated with the same respect as white Americans. They fell on their education as dentists as their lifeline to build a life for their extended family and children and to gain respect as foreigners. They led me to follow in their footsteps, the only ones they knew of. While I hold a graduate degree in dental medicine from Tufts University, I had filled my undergraduate courses at Adelphi University with creative writing, photography, women’s studies, and eastern philosophy. The blend of east and west has always fascinated me; it was who I was at my core. I was Indian but not born there. I was American, but not fully. After graduate school, my work in healthcare led me to nonprofit work in Uganda and in India, where I shifted my lens and knew I wanted to advocate for the girl child. I started a nonprofit with my husband, and in the end, I became an author, even after a long career in public health. My story led me to know that you have to trust who you are; it’s all you have. And to always believe in miracles.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It was not easy to make a decision and shift careers after so many years, especially as a mother. But what got me to realize this and gain the courage to do it was meditation and yoga, the gifts of my culture. After a few yoga trainings when I moved to San Diego and many courses in meditation from all over, I gained the ability to quiet my mind and listen to my inner voice. I heard myself giving voice to causes that I believe in, that I know are important to shed light on. I believe this introspection and drive is what gains freedom, the freedom one loses in human trafficking in my novel, but also symbolically, freedom lost from a life without passion or purpose. I believe that all of us have this, and to portray that girls who are taken from their normal lives have this beating inside them too, shows the reality of why it’s important to bring awareness to end trafficking for those who have dreams just like all of us. To come full circle, just like my own kids will have dreams, I want them to see me making efforts to fulfill mine as an author.
And no, it hasn’t been easy. There were many days I almost gave up from the rejections before a publisher said yes…but it was worth it. I am grateful I had my family to support me in all of it.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am most proud of the way I can share my voice with the world, and I don’t mean singing (although I am taking lessons just for fun). I love to share my voice through written and spoken word, guided meditations, and teaching. I have led hundreds of guided meditations through the years, whether in yoga classes I taught locally or on retreats I conducted in India under Buddha’s Bodhi tree and in Mexico among ancient ruins. My guided meditation album, Deep Dive Meditations as psnamaste, is now on Spotify, Apple Music, and streaming platforms. Each time I teach, I learn more about myself and the practice which I find so humbling.
My current biggest focus is my upcoming debut novel For My Sister, which was inspired by my time volunteering overseas. It is the fictional story of Amla and Asya, sixteen-year-old twins living with their family in a small village outside of Mumbai. While they look alike, they are very different. Asya is known for her quiet grace and understanding, whereas Amla questions authority and breaks rules.
Their lives change overnight when a confluence of unfortunate events brings them to the dark streets of India’s largest red-light district. Their only security is each other . . . until they are separated. Though they each discover ways to cope through poetry, art, and romance, they long for the other half of themselves. Will their lives ever intertwine again?
Like one of the main characters, Asya, poetry is my lifeline too. I love reciting my spoken word poems when I get the chance!
For My Sister debuts on October 18th, 2022 and is available for preorder.
Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc.?
I recently read The Voice of Knowledge by Don Miguel Ruiz. While I usually love reading fiction, this book was a game changer and so inspiring. I also love taking walks. Getting outside in nature, especially by the ocean, gets me off my laptop and drops me into the present moment which always feels good.
Pricing:
- Hardcover of For My Sister: $27.95. Available for preorder on Amazon, Indiebound, and Barnes and Noble.
- Softcover of For My Sister: $18.95: Available for preorder on Amazon, Indiebound, and Barnes and Noble.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.puja-shah.com & www.formysisterbook.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/psnamaste/
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6LzcaGzwThFGLXRLm1nfl8
Image Credits
Micaela Malmi
