Mitali Perkins
10 min read ⭑
QUESTION #1: ACQUAINT
There's much more to food than palate and preference. How does a go-to meal at your favorite hometown restaurant reveal the true you behind the web bio?
My parents immigrated from India and settled in a quiet San Francisco Bay Area suburb, where I enrolled in middle school. Our house looked like a typical California ranch on the outside, but inside it still felt like village India, with Baba reciting poems in Bangla and Ma cooking chicken curry, lamb biryani, masoor lentils, fish with mustard and other Bengali delicacies. She ground her spices from scratch and shopped carefully for fresh produce, meat and fish just as her grandmother had taught her. Bottom line? We ate well.
After graduating from high school, I left for college and graduate school, got married, became the mother of twins and lived in Bangladesh, India, Thailand and Boston. (13 winters!) Recently, after 25 years of serving as a pastor, my husband retired and we had to move. Where would we live? My mother, now widowed, was still living in that small ranch house in that quiet Bay Area suburb. We bought a house within walking distance of her cooking. Bottom line? Again, we eat well.
QUESTION #2: REVEAL
We’ve all got quirky proclivities and out-of-the-way interests. So what are yours? What so-called "nonspiritual" activities do you love and help you find spiritual renewal?
Every weekend, no matter how tired he was after working hard all week as a civil engineer, Baba made time to play tennis with us. We’d laugh and lob and linger on the court, enjoying every minute of fun competition.
On the varsity tennis team in high school, thanks to Baba’s patient teaching and practice sessions, I was assigned the number one spot. I’d get nervous before every match, but I’d keep an eye on the parking lot. Without fail, Baba’s car would pull up. He’d climb out, still dressed in his suit and tie from the office, light up a cigar and watch me play from a distance. He never tried to coach or draw attention to himself, but the smell of cigar smoke always settled my nerves. Win or lose, it didn’t matter, at the end of the match, Baba would greet me with a happy smile and big bear hug.
Now that Baba’s no longer with me in historical time (oh, how I miss him!), I still feel his presence when I’m on a tennis court. After hitting a slice or a crosscourt winner, I can almost smell the cigar smoke and hear his loving voice calling out, “Great shot, darling!” It’s a great place to go if I feel a bit distant from God because I always leave feeling like I’m a beloved daughter to both of my fathers, the good one I had on earth and the great one I have in heaven.
QUESTION #3: CONFESS
Every superhero has a weakness. Every human, too. We're just good at faking it. But who are we kidding? We’re broken and in this thing together. So what’s your kryptonite and how do you hide it?
There was a time when everyone was getting pregnant in my friend circle. Each month it got harder and harder. Oh, how I wanted to be a mom! I had always loved children. How could a good God be withholding this gift from me? We started the arduous process of getting tested. Finally, the doctor gave us her verdict: infertility with no chance of conceiving a child.
What now? I wept, prayed and agonized. We decided to accept an invitation to serve the church in India, the country of my birth. Leaving my broken dreams behind, we left for Pune, where we lived in a flat on the campus of a theological seminary. Many of our Christian Indian neighbors had adopted children from a local orphanage and they encouraged us to explore that option. We filled out an application and indicated that we were open to a sibling set. Within months, the orphanage called to let us know that identical twin baby boys were available for adoption. Did we want to raise them? Yes! Yes, we did. We definitely did.
Now those babies have grown into delightful young men. Every day I give thanks that I am their second mother, and am so grateful to their first mother — whoever and wherever she is — for giving them life. Among many other unexpected adventures, being their mom led me to the vocation of writing children’s books, especially books featuring children of South Asian origin. In my forthcoming picture book from Penguin Random House | Waterbrook Multnomah, “Bare Tree and Little Wind: A Story for Holy Week,” I sent the illustrator, Khoa Le, baby pictures of our boys. She used those to create the most adorable rendition of Little Wind, who longs to help his faithful friend Bare Tree but is confused by the chaotic events leading up to Good Friday.
When I turn the pages of the book and see Little Wind’s brown loving face that looks so much like our boys, I’m reminded that when God says no to his children and life becomes chaotic and painful, it’s because he has an Easter Sunday plan in mind for each of us.
QUESTION #4: FIRE UP
Tell us about your toil. How are you investing your professional time right now? What’s your obsession? And why should it be ours?
I wish I had treated my vocation of writing fiction with as much care as I do now. I started out writing for fun. It was something I did on the side as a hobby. To my amazement, one of my stories won a contest and was published as a novel (The Sunita Experiment.) Seeing my first novel reach readers was delightful, but it wasn’t until my second novel was published that I decided to invest in my writing as a career. That book, “Monsoon Summer,” was rejected by 22 different publishers and came out 11 years after my first novel.
Looking back, I wonder why I didn’t give up. But as I revised and revised and endured rejection after rejection, a sense of calling was deepening and growing. Driven by the love of my character (I didn’t want to see her disappear) and the conviction that stories really do change hearts and minds (they had done that for me and were doing the same for our boys), I pressed on.
That was when writing changed from a pastime into a vocation. I began to invest in growing in the craft, taking classes in writing, and seeking mentors. I also learned as much as I could about the publishing industry. I haven’t looked back since, and “Bare Tree and Little Wind,” which came out in February, is my 17th book.
I love this quote by the writer Frederick Beuchner: “The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.”
I find great gladness in creating stories, and it’s easy to see that people are starved for them. These days, I treat the gift of being able to do it with great respect and gratitude.
QUESTION #5: BOOST
Cashiers, CEOs, contractors or customer service reps, we all need grace flowing into us and back out into the world. How does the Holy Spirit invigorate your work? And how do you know it's God when it happens?
Writing is arduous, and publishing is even harder. But because I believe it’s a vocation, my way of serving God and the planet, I rely on Jesus as my co-worker. Wait, scratch that. He’s the boss, the one who carries the heavy yoke. I’m the employee, the one who takes the lighter weight and waits for instructions.
This requires daily meetings for brainstorming, discussion and a personnel evaluation that includes confession. I rely on the practice of Examen as outlined by Saint Ignatius to discern where and how God is directing me in my vocation. I tell him my mistakes and failures (envy, despondency and fear are endemic in this line of work), and every day we start anew. I ask questions and talk while Jesus listens; I listen and try to pay attention to how I am being steered. Jesus always shows up. I think he takes more pleasure in my writing than I do. What better person than the author and finisher of my faith to rescue me when I get mired in the muck of work?
QUESTION #6: inspire
Scripture and tradition beckon us into the rich and varied actions that open our hearts to the presence of God. So spill it, which spiritual practice is workin' best for you right now?
I’m becoming more and more grateful for the practice of being served communion during a church service. The elements are tangible; I have to eat and drink them. Somebody gives them to me; all I have to do is receive. The labor that Jesus did on the cross, body broken, blood spilled, erases all of the past week’s sin and shame. I leave worship on Sunday mornings with a bounce in my step, fresh creative energy and joy for the work we will do together in the coming week.
Maybe that’s why I wrote a book about Holy Week; it’s my love offering to the Savior. “Bare Tree and Little Wind” is dedicated to “Quiet Man,” which is what Little Wind calls Jesus when he sees him riding the donkey.
QUESTION #7: FOCUS
Our email subscribers get free ebooks featuring our favorite resources — lots of things that have truly impacted our faith lives. But you know about some really great stuff, too. What are three resources that have impacted you?
I was raised in a Hindu home, where Dad taught his children that God was a divine spirit of love. Dad’s job as an engineer took us from port to port, so by the time I was 11, we had lived in India, England, Ghana, Cameroon, Mexico and the United States. No matter where we were posted, Dad led us in a daily practice of gratitude to God.
I believed in this good God until high school when a friend was killed in a car accident involving a drunk driver. Clayton’s death opened my adolescent eyes to a world of suffering. What kind of God would allow this and then, according to Hinduism, reincarnate us into a painful world? I grieved for my friend and put my questions — and God — aside for the rest of high school.
College, however, engaged me in different philosophies and world religions. The first assignment in my humanities course was to read the book of Genesis. I was eager to read the Christian Holy Book for the first time, especially because the few Christians living in my dorm seemed caring and smart.
But the Bible reading left me scratching my head: naked people, fruit trees, a serpent and a God who spoke, strolled in a garden and seemed as passionate as the humans he created? Did my friends really believe this stuff? The campus bookstore offered partial refunds for 10 days. I returned the Bible, certain I’d never open it again.
What I didn’t realize is that I’d been preparing to read it for years. No matter where our family lived, Dad made sure I had access to public libraries. In retrospect, most of the fiction I loved was penned by authors who were deeply informed by Christianity. Louisa May Alcott wove John Bunyan’s “Pilgrim’s Progress” into “Little Women.” Johanna Spyri’s “Heidi” described God’s forgiveness through the Parable of the Prodigal Son. In “The Secret Garden,” Frances Hodgson Burnett perhaps subconsciously provided a metaphorical glimpse of the Trinity — Father (Susan Sowerby), Son (Dickon) and Holy Spirit (the robin). And of course, C. S. Lewis’ Aslan from “The Chronicles of Narnia” series leaped into my mind and heart. For years, these spiritual mothers and fathers had been teaching me about the Bible. I just didn’t realize it.
That’s why I re-read at least a dozen classic books from my childhood every year — they still refresh and reform my faith. I even wrote a nonfiction book for adults about this re-reading habit, “Steeped in Stories: Timeless Children’s Novels to Refresh Our Tired Souls,” in which I explore seven virtues and seven vices as illuminated by seven children’s classics. It was hard to narrow my list to only seven. (You can find out which ones I decided to include at steepedinstories.com.)
We all have things we cling to to survive (or thrive) in tough times. Name one resource you’ve found indispensable in this current season — and tell us what it's done for you.
I mentioned the Ignatian practice of Examen that I depend on to power my vocation, and I highly recommend it. St. Ignatius also believed that God speaks through our emotions and imagination; his teachings have helped me to discern God’s presence in desolate moments of daily life during this tough season. I am also in a small group where we listen to each other’s spiritual journeys without giving feedback and criticism.
QUESTION #8: dream
God is continually stirring new things in each of us. So give us the scoop! What’s beginning to stir in you but not yet fully awakened? What can we expect from you in the future?
Recently, one of my books, “Rickshaw Girl,” was adapted into a film by some very talented people. I learned so much from the screenwriters about storytelling that I am intrigued by the idea of writing a screenplay myself.
Of course, I’m talking this over with the Author of my Faith and waiting for clarity and discernment, but I do love the movies and am wondering if I can perhaps pen something for the big or small screen. Let’s see. I’ll keep you posted!
With today’s hectic pace, our modern culture has forgotten some of the great spiritual habits of yesteryear.
That’s why we were excited to read how Mitali practices the Ignatian Examen. Have you tried it? It’s not hard. It’s simply a contemplative prayer that follows these five steps:
1. Become aware of God’s presence.
2. Review the day with gratitude.
3. Pay attention to your emotions.
4. Choose one feature of the day and pray from it.
5. Look toward tomorrow.
Why not set a timer for 10 minutes and try it right now? All you need is a quiet place to think and pray — just you and Jesus. In those moments of stillness with him, you may discover far more spiritual depth and beauty than you think.
Mitali Perkins (mitaliperkins.com) writes books for young readers, including Between Us and Abuela (winner of the Américas Award for Children’s and Young Adult Literature), You Bring the Distant Near (nominated for a National Book Award), Rickshaw Girl (one of the New York Public Library’s 100 best children’s books in the past 100 years) and her newest picture book, Bare Tree and Little Wind: A Story for Holy Week, illustrated by Khoa Le. Mitali’s goal is to make readers laugh or cry — preferably both — as long as their hearts are widening. She lives and writes in the San Francisco Bay Area.