She of the Mountains

She of the Mountains combines two parallel narratives: an interpretation of Hindu mythology featuring deities Parvati, Shiva, and Ganesh, and the story of a queer Hindu boy navigating his identity in Canada. The contemporary storyline follows the protagonist's journey through relationships, self-discovery, and the complexities of understanding his sexuality while maintaining connections to his cultural heritage. Raymond Biesinger's abstract illustrations complement the text throughout the novel. The mythological sections present the divine stories of Hindu gods, exploring themes of love, creation, and transformation. These ancient tales mirror and illuminate aspects of the modern narrative. This dual structure creates a meditation on identity, belonging, and the intersection of sexuality, culture, and faith. The novel examines how ancient wisdom and contemporary experience can inform our understanding of love and self-acceptance.

Readers highlight the unique blend of Hindu mythology with a contemporary queer love story, noting how the parallel narratives complement each other. The illustrations by Raymond Biesinger received frequent mention for enhancing the storytelling. Likes: - Poetic, lyrical writing style - Fresh take on gender identity and sexuality - Integration of cultural and religious elements - Short length makes it accessible - Strong visual design and artwork Dislikes: - Some found the mythological elements confusing - Narrative structure feels disjointed to some readers - Several mentioned wanting more character development - Some felt the writing was too abstract Ratings: Goodreads: 3.8/5 (1,100+ ratings) Amazon: 4.2/5 (50+ ratings) Notable reader comments: "Beautiful marriage of art and words" - Goodreads reviewer "The mythology sections lost me" - Amazon reviewer "Captures the fluidity of identity perfectly" - LibraryThing review "Too experimental for my taste" - BookBrowse comment

Little Fish by Casey Plett This novel follows a trans woman discovering her grandmother may have also been trans, weaving together themes of gender identity, family history, and cultural heritage across generations.

The Death of Vivek Oji by Akwaeke Emezi The story explores a young Nigerian's journey of gender identity and self-discovery through multiple perspectives, blending mythology with contemporary life.

On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong A son writes letters to his mother about identity, sexuality, and immigrant experiences while navigating Vietnamese-American culture.

The Thirty Names of Night by Zeyn Joukhadar This multi-generational tale connects a closeted Syrian American trans boy with an artist from the past through shared experiences of identity and cultural belonging.

Fierce Femmes and Notorious Liars: A Dangerous Trans Girl's Confabulous Memoir by Kai Cheng Thom A surreal coming-of-age story follows a young Asian trans girl who finds community and self-acceptance in a fictional city's underground world.

🔸 Vivek Shraya is a multidisciplinary artist who, besides writing, is also a musician and filmmaker, and teaches creative writing at the University of Calgary. 🔸 The illustrations by Raymond Biesinger in She of the Mountains were created using a two-color design scheme, reflecting the book's exploration of duality and binaries. 🔸 The retelling of Hindu mythology in the book focuses particularly on the goddess Parvati, who is known as the Mother Goddess and represents divine power and energy in Hindu tradition. 🔸 The book was published in 2014 by Arsenal Pulp Press, an independent Canadian publisher known for championing works by LGBTQ2S+ authors and writers of color. 🔸 Shraya wrote this book partially in response to experiencing biphobia within both straight and queer communities, challenging binary perceptions of sexuality through both the modern and mythological narratives.