Tiger Heart

My Unexpected Adventures to Make a Difference in Darjeeling, and What I Learned about Fate, Fortitude, and Finding Family Half a World Away

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Pub Date 06 Oct 2015 | Archive Date 12 Apr 2017

Description

Katrell Christie was a thirty-something artist turned roller-derby rebel who opened a tea shop in Atlanta. Barely two years later, her life would make a drastic change--and so would the lives of a group of girls half a world away.      

I chose the name of my tea shop--Dr. Bombay's Underwater Tea Party--because it sounded whimsical. India wasn't part of the equation. Not even remotely. I didn't do yoga. I had no deep yearning to see the Taj Mahal or tour Hindu temples. Indian food? I could take it or leave it.        

Yet on a whim, Katrell did go. She witnessed the throngs at the Ganges River, toured the tea fields of Darjeeling, and helped string pearls in conservative Hyderabad. But it was in a crowded Buddhist orphanage where she crossed paths with some girls who would change the course of her life.

One night we had a conversation about their futures. What did they hope to be when they grew up? They didn't have any answers. The fear that consumed them was leaving the orphanage. What would happen on the day they were asked to gather their things and leave--to walk out the door and be all alone on the street with no one to turn to and nowhere to go?

With her mind racing about their grim futures, Katrell reached the simple conclusion that she couldn't walk away. So instead she walked forward--on a mission to help them in any small way. Once back at her shop, an idea for The Learning Tea was born. By selling tea, cupcakes, scones, and other treats, Katrell raised enough funds to provide life necessities for the girls--safe housing, uniforms, medical care, tutoring, and ultimately, a college education for each of them. To date, The Learning Tea has helped eleven young girls who once faced the bleakest of futures.

Tiger Heart recounts Katrell's riveting adventures back to India, through the chaotic streets of Mumbai, to tiny villages with roadside tea huts and hot samosas, to elephant crossings and snow-capped mountain switchbacks of the Himalayas--an unexpected backdrop where she fell in love with a country that was gorgeous and heartbreaking all at once, where tragedy, humor, resilience and kindness were inextricably bound. From dodging feral monkeys, to slamming shots of whiskey to win acceptance at a local Rotary Club, to forging lasting friendships with the people who stepped up to help her cause, Tiger Heart offers a shot-gun seat on an inspiring trek across the globe, capturing the essence of India: its quirks, its traditions, and its people.

Fate may have led Katrell to a tiny spot on a map, but it was a kinship that brought her back home a half a world away. Tiger Heart is a life-affirming look at the ties that bind and the power of each of us to make a difference.    

Katrell Christie was a thirty-something artist turned roller-derby rebel who opened a tea shop in Atlanta. Barely two years later, her life would make a drastic change--and so would the lives of a...


A Note From the Publisher

The true story of The Learning Tea founder, and the power of one person to make a difference a half a world away.

The true story of The Learning Tea founder, and the power of one person to make a difference a half a world away.


Marketing Plan

Marketing

Both HCI and Christie’s teams will develop campaigns to promote the book; from Christie’s well- established customers and fan-base, to new audiences and interest groups.An advertising and social media campaign will flood a variety of potential readers and audiencesVideos of fundraisers, students and their stories will be available on the Learning Tea website, YouTube and for use in marketing campaigns

Media

A variety of media have already expressed their interest in Christie’s story: an aggressive Publicity campaign will extend to all media—TV talk shows, special features on news-format shows, NPR, and all print media, from newspapers to women’s consumer publications.An early galley mailing will encourage reviews and endorsements before publicationBook launch will include local, national and international media. Venue and details TBD.In addition to HCI and christie’s team, an outside PR firm will be retained to maximize publicity and pre-publication exposure and will continue into the first several month post-publication.REGARDING THE LEARNING TEA - PAST/RECENT MEDIA:

U.S. Media features The Learning Tea:

FOX NEWS: Small Tea shop Owner Finds Big Support in Efforts to Rescue Girls in India

THE CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR—People Making a Difference: The Learning Tea brightens the future for poor or orphaned girls in India

FOX NEWS: Follow-up piece due to response of initial feature

HUFFINGTON POST: Katrell Christie, The Learning Tea owner, Saves 11 Orphans in India From Living in Poverty.

DAILY GOOD: A Tea Shop in Atlanta Sends Young Women in India to College

THE ATLANTA JOURNAL CONSTITUTION: Two-Part Series on Christie and The Learning Tea

TIDE AND BLOOM: Dr. Bombay's Underwater Tea Party

SPERLBLOG: Wednesday's Woman: Katrell Christie, The Learning Tea

SF GIRL BY BAY: Dr. Bombay's Underwater Tea Party

U.S. Media features The Learning Tea:

FOX NEWS: Small Tea shop Owner Finds Big Support in Efforts to Rescue Girls in India

THE CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR—People Making a Difference: The Learning Tea brightens the future for poor or orphaned girls in India

FOX NEWS: Follow-up piece due to response of initial feature

HUFFINGTON POST: Katrell Christie, The Learning Tea owner, Saves 11 Orphans in India From Living in Poverty.

DAILY GOOD: A Tea Shop in Atlanta Sends Young Women in India to College

THE ATLANTA JOURNAL CONSTITUTION: Two-Part Series on Christie and The Learning Tea

TIDE AND BLOOM: Dr. Bombay's Underwater Tea Party

SPERLBLOG: Wednesday's Woman: Katrell Christie, The Learning Tea

SF GIRL BY BAY: Dr. Bombay's Underwater Tea Party

Marketing

Both HCI and Christie’s teams will develop campaigns to promote the book; from Christie’s well- established customers and fan-base, to new audiences and interest groups.An advertising and...

Available Editions

EDITION Other Format
ISBN 9780757318580
PRICE $15.95 (USD)

Average rating from 15 members


Featured Reviews

A heart-felt, honest, and powerful book by Katrell Christie. A trip to India became a life-changing event for Christie ... her struggle to make a difference in the lives of young Indian women is a good lesson for us all. She writes about herself in a self-depecating manner, but she is a modern hero! Read this book and see!

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