The Gathering for the first time portrays the lives of the early Buddhist women in such a way that they come alive. It is a novel, the first of its kind, to break through the barrier of male voices, and it is told vividly in such a moving and engaging way. The reader will not be able to stop once they start reading, but will have to continue to the very last page, and yet still they will want more.
Bhikkhuni Dhammananda (Chatsumarn Kabilisingh)
Vanessa Sasson's absorbing story about the founding of the Buddhist nuns' order is a bold blend of elements that are often kept apart: scholarship on Buddhist narrative traditions, familiarity with the concerns of contemporary female monastic communities, a sharp feminist sensibility, and vivid storytelling. While she does not shrink from asking some hard questions about gender inequity in Buddhism, Sasson's narrative brims with tenderness for her characters and delight in a tradition and a history that she clearly cherishes and respects. Sasson brings to life scenes and characters and conversations with humor and humanity. I can't wait to read this book with my students.
Amy Langenberg, Associate Professor of Religious Studies, Eckerd College
Dr. Sasson has once again gifted us with a tale that brings early Buddhist women to life. Animating her well-researched evidence with an evocative imagination and vivid prose, she helps us feel their suffering, understand their diverse motivations, respect their wise insights, and be inspired by their resilient strength.
Paula K. R. Arai, Ph.D., author of Women Living Zen
Vanessa R. Sasson
Is a professor of Religious Studies at Marianopolis College where she has been teaching since 1999. She is also a Research Fellow at the University of the Free State and a Research Member of CERIAS at UQAM.
Sasson is the author and editor of a number of academic books, most notably a collection entitled Little Buddhas: Children and Childhood in Buddhist Texts and Traditions (Oxford University Press, 2013) and Jewels, Jewelry, and Other Shiny Things in the Buddhist Imaginary (University of Hawaii Press, 2021). Her most recent academic book is the forthcoming edited volume with Kristen Scheible, entitled The Buddha: A Short Biography (Oxford University Press, 2023).
A few years ago, Sasson tried something new and converted her research into a novel. The book, Yasodhara and the Buddha (Bloomsbury, 2021) was the outcome and it has been received with international acclaim.
Sasson has just completed the sequel to Yasodhara and the Buddha, which is focused on the women’s request for ordination. It is titled, The Gathering: A Story of the First Buddhist Women (Equinox, 2023). More academic novels are certain to follow.