THE FLOWER GIRL OF PANIPAT

Two crossword clues had something to do with Jim Driscoll going to Panipat, India, to be a resident at the Neela Akash Writers' Retreat. Once there, a flower girl- who first appeared to him in a dream, and then in real life (are they the same person?)-takes him on a journey of serendipitous discoveries. While staying at the retreat, widower Jim is drawn to the charms of Indian author Kamala Sharma, whose singsong voice makes him a prisoner so as to make the world disappear outside her circumference. Both are fascinated by the identity of the flower girl and the mysterious way in which she injects herself into Jim's life. In her final manifestation, the flower girl performs a miracle that changes the lives of Jim and Kamala forever. The story captures the delightfulness and appeal of Indian life, while at the same time pointing to the profound depths of religion and philosophy that inform and underscore it.