A native of Italy and a splendid cook herself, Mazzoni savors the food writings and images of a broad spectrum of Catholic saints and holy women, including Catherine of Genoa, Angela of Foligno, Gemma Galgani, and the first person in the United States to be canonized, Elisabeth Ann Seton. Continuum Books

Men, Women, and God(s) is a pioneering study of the Arab world's leading feminist and most controversial woman writer, Nawal El Saadawi. Author of plays, memoirs, and such novels as Woman at Point Zero and The Innocence of the Devil, El Saadawi has become well known in the West as well as in the Arab community for her unforgettable female heroes and explosive narratives, which boldly address sexual violence, female circumcision, theology, and other politically charged themes. Her outspoken feminism and critique of patriarchy have also earned her the wrath of repressive forces in the Middle East. Imprisoned in her native Egypt under Sadat, El Saadawi is now among those on the death lists of Islamic religious conservatives. In Men, Women, and God(s) Fedwa Malti-Douglas makes the work of this important but little-understood writer truly accessible. Contending that El Saadawi's texts cannot be read in isolation from their Islamic and Arabic heritage, Malti-Douglas draws upon a deep knowledge of classical and modern Arabic textual traditions—and on extensive conversations with Nawal El Saadawi—to place the writer within her cultural and historical context. With this impassioned and radical exegesis of El Saadawi's prolific output, Malti-Douglas has written a crucial study of one of the most controversial and influential writers of our time. This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1995.

Cooking for the Gods focuses on the special role of women in this domestic Hindu Bengali realm as they care for both their family and the numerous household deities who reside in the home shrine and partake of the cooked offerings.

The adventure story exposed the unique and outrageous cultures of Nigerians, with more emphasis on the Ibo speaking tribe in the eastren part of the country. Nigeria is known as the giant of Africa. The book also portrays the flambouyant lifestyle of wealthy Nigerians, a lifestyle which has been the major source of evil in this society, and has led our youngsters to the edge of committing all sorts of dubious crimes and atrocities to meet up with the standards, circulating fake business letters abroad with the intent to dupe, ritual killings for sacrifice, demonic cults, child trafficking and many more. These practises have tarnished ruined the image and reputations of Nigerians all over the world. In this country we love money more than we love our God. It's very disgusting and appalling to see our churches turn places of worship into money making entities, contrary to the doctrine of religion brought to our country many years ago by white people. It's been said that "money, power, and sex" are the roots of all evil. Sex crime is at an alarming rate in our higher instituations. Professors have turned female students into their sex slaves to give them a passing grade in their classes. Despite all odds, we still have our unique qualities.

From fire-stealing Prometheus to scene-stealing Helen of Troy, from Jason and his golden fleece to Oedipus and his mother, this collection of classic tales from Greek mythology demonstrates the inexhaustible vitality of a timeless cultural legacy. These stories of heroes and powerful gods and goddesses are set forth simply and movingly, in language that retains the power and drama of the original works by Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides, and Homer. Introduction by Werner Jaeger With black-and-white illustrations throughout Part of the Pantheon Fairy Tale and Folklore Library

“An imaginative and thought-provoking study of clowning in Rotuma, especially of ritual clowning in contexts of marriage ceremonies and the weaving of fine mats.... Completely fascinating.” —Canberra Anthropology “A challenge to readers both in its form and content.... This book conveys the lively, complex and often hilarious elements, both of daily life and celebratory rituals, as they are expressed in contemporary culture.” —Journal of Intercultural Studies

Sister Mary Clare is a savvy sixty-plus-year-old nun who runs a shelter for women in downtown Oakland, California. Over the years, she has incorporated holistic healing practices into her work with the down-and-out women who appear on her doorstep. Casa Guadalupe has a reputation for being welcoming—no questions asked. At the request of her cousin, an emergency room nurse, Mary Clare is called upon to provide a Reiki session to an unconscious derelict man the police have picked up near Yosemite. But when the elderly man finally awakens, he discloses that he is St. Francis of Assisi and is dedicated to restoring the Savior’s message and the Catholic Church. As the man’s story is slowly revealed through vivid diary entries, Mary Clare embarks on her own journey to find out who he is, how he ended up in California, and why he believes he is St. Francis without any idea that she is about to unveil as much about herself and her beliefs as she does about him. In this tale of faith, love, and friendship, a nun crosses paths with a derelict man on a divine mission who teaches her more than she ever imagined about herself, God, the church, and forgiveness.

Throughout its history, enchanting and mysterious Venice has attracted seekers. Some travel to the city to experience its storied charms, while others look for something else. This is the story of vastly different seekers whose lives unexpectedly intersect over six decades in a city shrouded in mystery. In the Venice of pre-WWII, Costanza, a talented baker, and her husband Piero Agostino, a glass blower, are blessed with a daughter, Breva. She is the love of their life until the waters of Venice snatch her from them. Bereaved, their lives are lost to them. In present-day Venice, Claudia Baggi, the diffident daughter of a countess, and Louis Howard, an unemployed expatriate from Chicago, have become good friends in the last year. Together, they concoct a plot that will allow Claudia to remain in Venice instead of returning home with her pious and controlling mother, Countess Baggi. Claudia and Louis restore a crumbling palazzo and convert it into a hotel. But the burning of the old La Fenice opera house triggers a series of unforeseeable events. In this saga of love and redemption, Claudia, Louis, Costanza, Piero, and the Countess come to realize that rebirth is possible from the ashes of devastation.