Born in 1928, Nachiketa Krishnamurti is raised in India by his paternal grandmother who teaches him to speak to snakes. His father, Jiddu, is a well-known mystic who is rarely home. His mother is never discussed.At the age of 23, Jiddu reveals to Nachiketa that his mother is the reclusive Swedish film star, “Harriet Brown.” Nachiketa and Harriet do eventually meet and together embark on a decades-long spiritual journey of sporadic meetings, prolonged silences, and extraordinary shared experiences complete with ancient snakes, trolls, and a mysterious white horse. Recalling Yann Martel's Life of Pi, Harriet Brown is rich in literary detail. Astute readers will recognize references to Mark Helprin's A Winter's Tale, and film buffs will easily identify Greta Garbo as the actress on whom Harriet is based (and who used the alias “Harriet Brown” frequently throughout her life.)

Introduction

Artists about Garbo

Garbo's Personal Art Collection

Sketches by Cecil Beaton