From School Library Journal
Grade 5-8-Neela, 12, lives in India, where 200 years of British rule has turned sour. When she befriends an underground freedom fighter, Samar, her interest in India's struggle begins to consume her every thought. Her father has joined Mohandas Gandhi's peaceful "civil disobedience" movement, and she becomes determined to help him and Samar fight for her country's freedom. Meanwhile, her mother has brought her news of an offer of marriage, a lucky catch as the boy is from a wealthy and cultured family. Refusing to rush into an engagement, she steals away from home, disguised as a boy, and heads for Calcutta. Neela has several adventures and close calls, but she finds both men and is instrumental in getting them safely home. A strong female protagonist and historical subject matter are limited by a predictable plot. A hinted-at romance between Samar and Neela never emerges and the drama of the country's political tension is watered-down by far-fetched heroics. For a title that focuses on the mystical and exotic flavor of India, lead readers to Suzanne Fisher Staples's Shiva's Fire (Farrar, 2000).
Alison Follos, North Country School, Lake Placid, NY
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Alison Follos, North Country School, Lake Placid, NY
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Booklist
Gr. 5-8. Divakaruni is best known for her poetry and short stories for adults, including her acclaimed fiction collection Arranged Marriages (1995). Her first offering for young readers, part of the Girls of Many Lands series, is a fast, nail-biting adventure set during India's fight for independence. Twelve-year-old Neela is exhilarated when her sister's wedding is interrupted by a band of rough freedom fighters asking for money and food. Neela is swept up by the patriotic excitement, and later, against her mother's protests, she helps to harbor Samar, a wounded fighter. When her father never returns from a protest march, Neela travels alone to Calcutta to find him, and with the help of Samar and his wealthy cousin, hatches a brazen rescue plan. Passages explaining the necessary historical and cultural background are admirably clear but not always well blended into the narrative, and some of the characters and the story's overt messages lack subtlety. But Divakaruni turns a rare subject in children's literature into a well-paced, gripping story that captures universal emotions as well as the complexity of Neela's choices and her anger as she begins to see the facts of colonialism. The precise, vibrant details of time and place (Divakaruni was raised in Calcutta) will put readers next to Neela on the terrifying train rides, the hot, crowded streets and, finally, in the arms of her parents. Gillian Engberg
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
