Alain-Fournier, was born in 1886 in La Chapelle-d'Angillon in the Cher region of France. His book "Le Grand Meaulnes" is about adolescence and regret for that which is lost. Jennifer Hashmi has not tried to transform Le Grand Meaulnes into an English version of a French novel. The poetic style of the original has been left intact, pointing always to something unattainable. Alain-Fournier communicates in hints, recollections, and frequent ellipses when Francois leaves the reader to intuit the rest for himself. Ms. Hashmi has adhered to the French wording and gaps in order to retain the intangible quality of Alain-Fournier's narrative. The story is about searching for that which is lost, lost youth, lost people, and is told by Francois who narrates all that is precious in his memory of Augustin Meaulnes, who changed his life for ever, and the lives of all of his class at Sainte-Agathe.

In her Introduction the author traces her spiritual adventure from the early days of her teen-age practise of contemplation. The relaxation sessions with which each day began at Speech Therapy College began her formal training. A member of the C of E, she had a spiritual director from the Community of the Resurrection in Mirfield, and stayed at the enclosed Convent of the Incarnation in Oxford. After a theology course at College of Ascension Birmingham she sailed for India in 1964. There she was introduced to to the Abhishiktananda Society which promoted Hindu-Christian dialogue. After attending the Inauguration of the Church of North India she visited Gandh-ji's ashram at Sevagram and Vinoba Bhave's ashram not far away. In both of these ashrams the day began before dawn with silent meditation in a dark room lit by a single candle. She was privileged to attend a question/answer session with Vinoba Bhave himself. During those years she read the Upanishads and came to accept the belief in non-duality, advaita, without this in any way compromising her faith in Christ. In 1977 she married Salman Hashmi of the Muslim community and they had a son and a daughter. By the 1990's she was studying New Age methods of meditation, and this Diary is a record of the extraordinary results.

These stories are about a boy who dared to make friends with someone who was different. He traveled to his friend's country through the night on the back of an owl and gained many more close friends in a land, which no one can reach unless taken by the hand of one of its inhabitants. They are stories of adventure and the power of friendship.

As the story of Pongoland and the other islands in the archipelago in the sky continues to unfold, the three boys, Sonny, Gogo, and Tobo, are seen to be maturing. Their understanding of the world in which they live, in fact of their two worlds, is developing. They become more aware of the economic and social dynamics existing between the islands. Their learning curve steepens as they do their best to put right wrongs and solve mysteries The first two stories look at economic inequalities existing between some of the islands and ways of developing the resources of poorer islands. Friendships among members of different islands are formed, and a spirit of cooperation for the mutual benefit of all is envisioned. The next two stories surround the mystery of the disappearance of somebody's nightwear and the events lying behind this strange occurrence The fifth story is about the sort of disaster, which so often accompanies efforts to solve social dilemmas. A moment's forgetfulness can result in unforeseen consequences. However, with the usual resourcefulness of the three boys and help from wise adults, all is resolved. Sonny and Gogo and Tobo through it all learn to develop their skills and aptitudes.

As the story of Pongoland and the other islands in the archipelago in the sky continues to unfold, the three boys, Sonny, Gogo, and Tobo, are seen to be maturing. Their understanding of the world in which they live, in fact of their two worlds, is developing. They become more aware of the economic and social dynamics existing between the islands. Their learning curve steepens as they do their best to put right wrongs and solve mysteries The first two stories look at economic inequalities existing between some of the islands and ways of developing the resources of poorer islands. Friendships among members of different islands are formed, and a spirit of cooperation for the mutual benefit of all is envisioned. The next two stories surround the mystery of the disappearance of somebody's nightwear and the events lying behind this strange occurrence The fifth story is about the sort of disaster, which so often accompanies efforts to solve social dilemmas. A moment's forgetfulness can result in unforeseen consequences. However, with the usual resourcefulness of the three boys and help from wise adults, all is resolved. Sonny and Gogo and Tobo through it all learn to develop their skills and aptitudes.

These stories are about a boy who dared to make friends with someone who was different. He traveled to his friend's country through the night on the back of an owl and gained many more close friends in a land, which no one can reach unless taken by the hand of one of its inhabitants. They are stories of adventure and the power of friendship.

How does the Lord of the Environment react when he hears of school children turning to extortion, or of wilful neglect of animals or people, or of children sick as a result of industrial waste? In these stories he gets involved Merriol is kept very busy in the work of restoring the balance.