Author Talk: Renée Thakali

The Joyous Fort, Our Homeland in Thini

Learn about the origins and traditions of a Thakali family from Nepal

Enjoy a Sunday afternoon at the library learning about a secret corner of the world - a small village beneath the snowy peaks of Nilgiri and Annapurna in the Himalayan mountains. The Joyous Fort, Our Homeland in Thini brings readers to Nepal and immerses them into the rich history and culture of the Thakali people, who call Thini their home.

--

Follow her adventurous life as she merges her American culture and values with the Thakali people in her cross-cultural marriage. She details both times of sadness and immense joy with her extended family in Thini. Together Renée and Pratikshya created this historical book for the younger generation and as a legacy for Thini’s future generations, to help them remember their origins, family history, and unique cultural traditions. Pratikshya shares her first hand experiences growing up in Thini, walking long distances to school, reveling in the Tygunla New Year festivities as a child, celebrating her ancestors and elders with daily offerings and happily wearing clean new clothes and eating many tasty treats.

--

Doors open at 2:00 pm for a meet-and-greet with Renée and readings will start at 2:30 pm. Light refreshments will be provided. No registration is required. This event is open to the public and intended for ages 14 and up.

--

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Renée Thakali went to Nepal in 1977 as a Peace Corps Volunteer and began her lifelong adventure working in conservation projects and traveling to many places around the world. She received her B.S. in Natural Resources and Environmental Education and her M.S. in forestry from Michigan State University. She worked for more than 37 years as a forester for the USDA Forest Service and for the Peace Corps Nepal staff. Her other international forestry assignments took her to Afghanistan during the war; the Philippines; and to the tiny tropical island of Saipan to restore native forest species, control landslides, and train local forestry workers to sustain conservation efforts.

--

Co-author Pratikshya Thakali spent her early formative years in Thini village, a close-knit community that nurtured her understanding of Thakali traditions, language, and values. She was captivated by her grandfather’s stories of trade journeys to faraway Tibet and India on foot. Due to increasing political turmoil, Pratikshya immigrated to the USA. She received her BA in business administration from Baruch College, City University of New York. She works as an analyst for a non-profit organization.

--

Purchase a copy beforehand! Limited physical copies will be available for purchase at the event.

- Book Baby Link

- Amazon

Upcoming Events