Customer Reviews

Anila's Journey

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When Anila Tandy's guardians, the Hickeys, decide to leave Calcutta, they beg her to accompany them, but she stubbornly refuses to come so that just in case her long-gone father returns as he promised many years ago, she'll be there.

Miss Hickey then sets her up with everything she'll need to survive by herself. Most importantly, she finds Anila a job as a bird painter on an expedition up the Ganges River.

As the days go by and she discovers new birds, she also reflects on her past. How life was like when her mother was still alive and her father was still around, or remembering the stories her mother used to tell. Along the journey, Anila also finds herself and grows up.

ANILA'S JOURNEY was a well-written historical story. The re-creation of historic India was fascinating and I enjoyed learning more about the older Indian culture. I thought that it was really interesting how Mary Finn alternated the chapters by telling what Anila was experiencing at the present and then stories about Anila's past - and then bringing them together in the end.

Anila herself was an interesting character who really grew up throughout the novel and became her true self. I loved all of the culture references and felt like I learned quite a bit. At times, the book got dry and I found that it was hard to keep reading, but then it would get better over time. Overall, I really did enjoy the book.

Reviewed by: Tasha

A young girl,daughter of a Bengalese mother and Irish father, is apparently abandoned by her father. Anila is a talented painter of birds. She applies for and wins a job as an artist on a Ganges river birding exhibition. Her encounters with well drawn Bengali characters and her resolution of the mystery above, are written with skill by first time Irish novel writer, Mary Finn. Adventure, cruelty, ethnic rivalries and artistic recognition are all mixed into this beautifully written story of late 18th. Century colonial India. Both Mother and daughter have faith in the vanished Irish father. Moralistic critics could object to Anila's posiion as daughter of a mistress who has to continue her ways, to support her daughter. But that is the culture. The resolution of the story may come all of a sudden. but it is satisfying.
The book presents a good story set in Bengali culture for the young adult or mature middle grade reader.