Gita Ralleigh's debut, A Terrible Thing, is a short collection about goddesses, their elemental power, their vulnerability. Its poems are as delicate and formidable as their protagonists, which include Draupadi and Bollywood's Nargis, Erzulie and Oshun, Kali and Anagolay.
Exploring themes of women's lives, agency, and hybridity, Gita Ralleigh's poetry evokes a sense of danger and compulsion. The collection features survival poems characterized by wild unpredictability and hyper-sensitive language, drawing inspiration from diverse sources like Adrienne Rich, Ovid, and Asian mythology. The imagery of a siren suggests a transformative experience, warning that those who heed her call will emerge irrevocably altered.
In a parallel colonial India, Sam Singh embarks on a dangerous quest to rescue his missing brother, Moon, rumored to be imprisoned in the notorious Octopus. Accompanied by the enigmatic Professor Bogusz, his parrot Suka, and a young guide named Lola, Sam navigates a mystical isle filled with spirits and secrets. As they venture into the treacherous interior, they face the looming threat of the Octopus and a brewing storm, all while racing against time to save Moon and secure a hopeful future.
The story of a Queendom set in an alternate India. A debut rich in fantasy, friendship and faith, and an original middle grade magical adventure that sparkles with storytelling magic.'A land that loses its stories loses its way.'The beautiful queendom of Moonlally has fallen under a tyrant's rule. Their queen is dead, worship of their goddess, the Dark Lady, is forbidden, and the precious black diamond that protects the city - a rare fragment of fallen star - has gone missing.When fierce orphan girl Minou Moonshine's life is unexpectedly shattered, she joins the ragtag band of rebels, the Green Orchids, who are plotting to overthrow the General.Armed with a secret and a map, Minou sets off with her friends and a mechanical elephant, through the lush jungles of Indica, in search of a queen, a goddess and her destiny.