The reason I'm giving this five stars is because the author provides a detailed glossary of anglicized sanskrit words, as well as a guide to pronouncing sanskrit vowels. While he chooses not to include a translation of what he calls "the legend" of Sita's betrayal, he still provides an extremely detailed translation of Valmiki's text as it is, including some translation from the poet Kamban's version of the Ramayana (who translated it into Tamil). However, this book is very simply put forward, as he says, for children and mothers. The sentences are simple and short, while not boring to more advanced adult readers. He presents the text like a teacher, stopping the narrative occasionally to remind us of something, or to discuss a character's moral action or a writing tool used by Valmiki or Kamban. The author's own Gandhian belief system is apparent, so if you're looking for an unbiased translation don't look here. But if you're looking for a simple yet beautiful translation with context, this is the version you want.