My French publisher, Albin Michel, has retitled "The Age of Shiva" as "Mother India" for the French-language version. On a recent trip to Paris for the release, I was struck by how well the name went with the story. Meera, the imperfect mother, contrasted with the idealized Indian vision of motherhood projected in the classic 1957 film "Mother India" which I refer to in the book. Plus, the whole tie-in with the idea of India as a mother, its evolution in the background paralleling Meera's own coming of age. The publishers really pulled out the stops for my visit - three appearances on television, a soiree at the residence of the Indian ambassador (the very suave and cultured Ranjan Mathai, who assured me that only foreigners had to use "the honorable Mr. Mathai" when addressing him), and an event at the Maison des Sciences de l'Homme on my final evening there. The last turned out to be like a Ph.D. defence, with two well-versed examiners, Pierrette Fleutiaux and Denise Coussy grilling me about the book for over an hour. ("We are not done with you quite yet, Mr. Suri," Mme Coussy kept assuring me, as I sweated.)

Here's one of the reviews for "Mother India," which also shows the French cover.