A Time for India

"India is a land of contrasts. It is a place where the past meets the future in its extremes, and where this mixture touches every facet of life." In a fascinating and often amusing account of Americans abroad in an exotic--and somewhat chaotic--land, "A Time for India" is a lovingly told story of one family's life and experiences in India from 1996 to 1998, when India's modern industrial revolution was near its beginning. The 2nd edition provides a timeless addition to the book with a story of change. Since 1998, Ellens has returned to India more than 80 times, watching, with an outsider's view, the country transform in ways that seemed impossible not so long ago. The 2nd edition tells the rest of the story.

Ellens tells a story of living with one foot in the 19th century and the other in the 21st century. It is a story of a family's introduction and adaptation to a world so different from their life in Michigan that every day seemed like a new adventure. The book, like a travelogue, describes what every visitor to India is sure to see, perhaps with wide eyes and unbridled curiosity, and often take the reader to spots off the beaten trail. But it goes deeper than that, bringing to life the expatriate experienced as a family with four school-age children who spends two years becoming part of a culture different from their own, and discovers the ways in which this experience enriches their lives. Interspersed with this travelogue by Dan Ellens, are sections about the history of the country and its rich cultural underpinnings, written by Lakshmi Srinivas, who was born and raised in India. The 2nd edition provides a timeless addition to the book with a story of change. Since 1998, Ellens has returned to India more than 80 times, watching, with an outsider's view, the country transforms in ways that seemed impossible not so long ago. The 2nd edition tells the rest of the story.

Dan Ellens is the author of four books, including "Turning Ten – Great Adventures in the Great Lakes", "Building the Bunkee – A Photo Anthology of Custom Log Cabin Construction and One Man's Retirement Dream", "Treehouse Letters – The Unabridged Michigan Forest Life Journal", and together with co-author, Lakshmi Srinivas, "A Time for India". Ellens is now retired after a full career in industry and international business, when he spent more than three decades of his working life aggressively traveling the globe. His experiences provide a rich context for the books he has written. Dan lives in Michigan, where he spends his retirement time caring for a forest preserve, connecting people with nature, promoting the joy of off-grid, self-sufficient lifestyles, and writing.