Climbing the Stairs [Hardcover]

Padma Venkatraman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 2008

During World War II and the last days of British occupation in India, fifteen-year-old Vidya dreams of attending college. But when her forward-thinking father is beaten senseless by the British police, she is forced to live with her grandfather’s large traditional family, where the women live apart from the men and are meant to be married off as soon as possible.

Vidya’s only refuge becomes her grandfather’s upstairs library, which is forbidden to women. There she meets Raman, a young man also living in the house who relishes her intellectual curiosity. But when Vidya’s brother makes a choice the family cannot condone, and when Raman seems to want more than friendship, Vidkya must question all she has believed in.

Padma Venkatraman’s debut novel poignantly shows a girl struggling to find her place in a mixedup world. Climbing the Stairs is a powerful story about love and loss set against a fascinating historical backdrop.

Read Padma Venkatraman's posts on the Penguin Blog.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 7–9—In 1941, 15-year-old Vidya's life in Bombay stands in direct contrast to that of her relatives in Madras for whom the traditional path of an arranged marriage, babies, and a life of serving a husband is not only expected but is also considered a girl's only proper option. Alternately, the goal of attending college like her brother is encouraged by her physician father. Turmoil is raging within Colonial India's borders as many view their British occupation negatively, holding protest rallies. Nonviolence, one of Vidya's father's principles, motivates him to secretly attend to the injured and beaten protestors. The teen's idyllic life changes in an instant when he is beaten by the British police and suffers extensive brain damage. Unable to earn a living and lead a productive life, this highly respected man and his family move in with his relatives. Vidya's dreams are shattered as her father's stature is immediately lowered to that of "an idiot" and she is forced to withstand her aunt's sharp-tongued, abusive taunts. Vidya's bright, bold, independent character remains determined to achieve her goals with the help and support of her grandfather, who first allows her access to his private library and later agrees to her formal university education. This is a poignant look at a young woman's vigilance to break from expectations and create her own destiny amid a country's struggle for independence.—Rita Soltan, Youth Services Consultant, West Bloomfield, MI
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From Booklist

*Starred Review* Growing up in a progressive family in Bombay during World War II, 15-year-old Vidya hopes that college is in her future, though her classmates are preparing for arranged marriages. After her father is severely injured in a riot, her life suddenly, irrevocably changes. Vidya, her older brother, and their parents move to Madras to join her grandfather’s traditional household, where men and women live separately and Vidya’s powerful aunt disdains the newcomers. When Vidya finds time after chores and schoolwork, she escapes upstairs to her grandfather’s library, where she meets a young man who seems to understand her. In her first novel, Venkatraman paints an intricate and convincing backdrop of a conservative Brahmin home in a time of change. Vidya’s first-person narrative conveys her pain, guilt, and hopes, as well as the strong sense of self that enables her to act with courage and occasionally with nobility in difficult circumstances. In an author’s note, Venkatraman comments on several elements of the novel, including Gandhi’s nonviolent revolution, Indian volunteers in the British army during World War II, and her family history. The striking cover art, which suggests Vidya’s isolation, as well as the unusual setting, will draw readers to this vividly told story. Grades 6-9. --Carolyn Phelan

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Putnam Juvenile (May 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0399247467
• ISBN-13: 978-0399247460
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #806,332 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Padma Venkatraman has a doctorate in oceanography and was a researcher for many years before she wrote her debut novel, Climbing the Stairs. The novel was released to starred reviews in Booklist, Publishers Weekly and VOYA, and excellent reviews in other journals such as Kirkus, School Library Journal, THe Providence Journal etc. The novel won the 2009 Julia Ward Howe Boston Authors Club Medal (YA). It has also received several other honors, including: Bank Street College of Education Best Book, ALA/YALSA Best Book for Young Adults, Booklist Editor's Choice Best Book of the Year, NYPL Best Book for the Teen Age, 2009 CCBC choice, NCSS/CBC Notable SS Trade Book, Capitol Choices Award, PA School ibrary Association Top 40, CLN Top 25 07-08, ALA/Amelia Bloomer 2009 Book, PW Flying Start, and Booksense Notable. Padma Venkatraman is also the winner of the 2008 SCBWI Magazine Merit Award for nonfiction and a storytelling world honor for The Cleverest Thief. Padma Venkatraman recently became an American citizen and lives with her family in Rhode Island.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars STRUGGLE TOWARD FREEDOM, October 3, 2008

By 

Sunita Bhargava (New Jersey, NJ USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Climbing the Stairs (Hardcover)

Have you ever wondered how it might feel to have your marriage arranged for you by your parents and relatives? Have you ever imagined permanently living under the same roof as your extended family? Have you ever known the desperation of living without rights or a voice of your own? If so, Padma Venkatraman's "Climbing the Stairs" is the book for you.

This book gives readers a glimpse into what it means to live in a traditional Indian joint family and of the restrictions imposed on people due to social and cultural norms. It speaks to the searing pain of oppression and the struggle for independence, both national and personal. Vidya, the protagonist of this story, is a curious girl who tries to make sense of the changing world in which she finds herself. India is in the midst of its freedom struggle against British rule and there are strong opinions on how this must be attained. Vidya grapples with the question of "means and ends" and "love and loyalty," while trying to remain true to her still formulating beliefs. Despite circumstances that unalterably change the course of Vidya's life, this courageous spitfire of a girl navigates her circumstances to uncompromisingly reach for her goals. Venkatraman's "Climbing the Stairs" is a fast paced book full of memorable characters, a strong story line, and a satisfying conclusion. I highly recommend readers accompany Vidya on her journey; they will be changed just as she is.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An important part of India's history comes to life, May 13, 2008

By 

askmonkey (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Climbing the Stairs (Hardcover)

Climbing the Stairs by Padma Venkatraman is a YA historical fiction about a fifteen-year-old girl named Vidya that takes place in India during the struggle for Indian independence and WWII. Outspoken and willful Vidya is excited about her future, but when her father is injured in a freedom rally, Vidya's hopes of entering college are shattered when her family is forced to move in with her grandfather and his straight-laced, traditional household. Her only way to escape is to climb the stairs to her grandfather's library where she is forbidden to go.

Vidya is a delightful protagonist, but at first she seems a little naïve and immature for her age. For example, in a strange scene in the first chapter, she is unable to identify a stain on her father's shirt as blood, despite the fact that she is fifteen years old and the daughter of a physician. However, after witnessing a British officer brutally beat her father, she becomes a much more believable character as she struggles with guilt about her role in her father's injury and shame about her father's resulting brain damage. I also thought that a few of the interactions Vidya has with her love interest, Raman, are sometimes very awkward and her uncle's family comes across as a little too mean to be realistic.

Despite these shortcomings, I would highly recommend this novel to anyone who is interested in in Indian history. The setting and time-period covered by this book are not often covered in American literature and especially not in such a truthful, open way. Sometimes I find that Indian-American authors tend to romanticize India and their novels read as odes to a perfect country where problems such as caste-based discrimination and sexism don't seem to exist. However, through Vidya's eyes, the author unflinchingly shows us her view of what it was like to live in a male-dominated society and where oppression was a fact of life. We see shocking events and difficult social problems portrayed honestly, and this important time in India's history comes to life in a believable and interesting way.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a multi-faceted book for all ages, May 3, 2008

By 

kelly easton - See all my reviews

This review is from: Climbing the Stairs (Hardcover)

CLIMBING THE STAIRS is a wonderful, well written, and thought provoking book that navigates the historical and political context of India during WWII, commenting and using it as a backdrop without letting it overwhelm the story. There are so many threads beautifully woven together. The book also shows the devastating consequences of pride, something modern teens don't think about too much. The ending was so satisfying, as well, the way Vidya learns and grows.