Bride of the Budddha tells the story of Buddha’s abandoned wife. Yashodhara marries Prince Siddhartha. He abandons her and their son to search for enlightenment. Wanting to find her own quest for enlightenment, Yashodhara disguises herself as a man and joins her husband’s monastery. She becomes his disciple known as Ananda and is his closest confidant. Ananda persuaded him to allow women into the order to help spread Buddha’s teachings.

Yashodhara has largely been a forgotten figure in Buddhism, but has recently been gaining attention with books like The Buddha’s Wife and Yashodhara. In this latest novel about Buddha’s abandoned wife, Yashodhara is a fully fleshed-out historical figure. Yashodhara is shown as a suffering woman who goes through many hardships and guilt. Throughout the novel, she embarks on her own quest for enlightenment. Thus, Yashodhara was truly a strong heroine. I liked how she persuaded Buddha to let women be admitted to the order.

Overall, this novel is about identity, gender norms, and enlightenment. The characters feel very real and complex. The setting of Ancient Nepal comes alive. The prose is lush and evocative. I love the first person narrative of the story because I came away feeling as if I knew Yashodhara. The only thing I did not like about this book was that it moves at a very fast pace, there were some scenes that felt rushed. Nevertheless, Bride of the Buddha is a very feminist novel because it highlights the injustices of women in a patriarchal society. Bride of the Buddha takes the reader on a spiritual journey that shines light on a forgotten but important historical figure.

I appreciate the publisher allowing me to read this book. I found the subject interesting but did not enjoy the authors writing style.

Can we just talk for a minute about my newly discovered love of historical events retold through the eyes of women forgotten??? We love a new niche interest.

First of all, the language is gorgeous and vivid, calling up detailed images of the mango groves and charnal grounds that our protagonist spends their time.

Secondly, McHughs expertly crafts a narrative that balances the history with the fiction. She obviously is knowledgeable and cares about the subject and that care shines through in her writing. The subject matter, normally very complex ideas, are written simply and in a way that someone (me) with little prior knowledge can understand them.

Thirdly, this is just a wonderful tale about a woman seeking the Truth and fighting for the right of all other women to obtain that same Truth, while sacrificing her own identity to do so. I just loved it.

Perfect for fans of The Book of Longings.

This book was fantastic! I absolutley loved the main character, and the way that McHugh allowed the reader to really understand all of her thoughts and feelings. From childhood to old age, we saw how she grew as a person and battled her demons throughout her life. Rarely have I come accross a character that is so well illustrated throughout a book, that you feel like you know them at the end.
This book tacked a lot of key themes, including gender steriotypes and religion, in a sensitive and compelling way. It was well paced and had just the right amount of beautiful descriptive writting balanced with a plot that kept you engaged until the end.
My only critisism of this book is that it wasn't long enough. I found myself wanting more from nearly every scene, particularly the section of the book which looked at our protagonists relationship with stick woman. I could easily have read another 200 pages and loved every second.
I would highly recommend this book, and would also encourage people to read the authors note. I know very little about the history of the Buddha, and it was enlightening to see how much of the book was based in fact. I will certainly be looking out for more by this author.

Yasodhara, the abandoned wife of the Buddha is determined to find the spirit of her deceased sister Deepa so she can peacefully rest. In doing so, she hides her identity and joins the Buddha’s monastic order becoming Ananda, the closest of confidantes. This is a time of spiritual awakening and enlightenment as she will persuade the Buddha to allow women to join his order and forever preserve his teachings.
McHugh provides an intriguing read as well as an inspirational journey that will captivate and move the reader long after the last page has been turned.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and Barbara McHugh for an ARC of this life changing book in exchange for a book review

this was a really interesting take on Buddha, the characters were great and I really enjoyed the story.

Book Review 🇮🇳📚

Book- Bride of the Buddha
Author- Barbara McHugh
Genre- Mythological fiction
To be Published- in Jan 2021

🧕🏻As the title suggests this is the story of Bride of Buddha, meaning the story of Yasodhara, the wife of Gautam Buddha ( who was called King Siddhartha in his earlier years). This is a fictional interpretation of the hardships faced by her as her husband leaves her with a 2 day old son to try and attain enlightenment.

🧕🏻As we all know He did achieve great heights Spiritually but the sadness which Yashodhara faces because of having to fulfill family obligations and herself unable to take the path of self realization is dis heartening.The plight of women in those days, specifically those whose husband's were not with them due to whatever reasons is portrayed in a heart wrenching way.

🧕🏻The author herself follows Buddhism and has done her PhD in religion so her research and presentation of various facts is very precise. She has taken pains to try and clarify various misconceptions and rumors associated with the couple. She also has weaved the story beautifully adjusting the ages to make facts relevant.
🧕🏻One thing that I really liked was the way she portrayed and tried to combine Yasodharas inner struggle and her taking desperate measures for trying to attain enlightenment. She took cover up as a male monk ( as females were not allowed in the Sangha) became the famous Ananda, who struggled to get women ordained on this path. The parallelism is beautifully portrayed.
A must read for someone who likes a well researched book with justification of the fictional parts towards the end.

Thank u @netgalley and @Barbara McHugh for the copy.. the synopsis was so intriguing thaT I couldn't resist picking it up immediately. And true to it the book is a masterpiece