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saidtheraina's review against another edition
4.0
You think you know what to expect, and then you don't at all. I love how Asha's enlightenment is so realistic - there are traditional reasons for her feminism. I loved that it was set in such a rich time period and place, and the historical and geographical element is so fabulous and yet definitely did not overpower the story. I was totally shocked by the twist, and I loved the rich and realistic relationships. Perkins even fits in a realistic portrayal of depression before it was recognized! The more I think about it, the more I liked this one.
Great related story. When I was almost half-way through (reading on my breaks at work), a mom came in with her 5th grade daughter. She said her daughter had a hard time finding books which interested her, that she wasn't into the Harry Potter thing (which I took to mean fantasy/speculative), and would ideally like a realistic book about family relationships relating to a south asian family moving to America. The family looked to be of Indian descent. Although this title wasn't a PERFECT fit for the description and age of the patron, I knew this was on display in the Teen area and had to grab it. It was an "eyes light up" kind of experience, and they walked away with this book eagerly in tow (as well as bunch more they found using our Great Reads for Kids booklist area). It's so rare and awesome when you're reading the right book at the right time, just happen to know it's actually in the building, and match the right patron!
Great related story. When I was almost half-way through (reading on my breaks at work), a mom came in with her 5th grade daughter. She said her daughter had a hard time finding books which interested her, that she wasn't into the Harry Potter thing (which I took to mean fantasy/speculative), and would ideally like a realistic book about family relationships relating to a south asian family moving to America. The family looked to be of Indian descent. Although this title wasn't a PERFECT fit for the description and age of the patron, I knew this was on display in the Teen area and had to grab it. It was an "eyes light up" kind of experience, and they walked away with this book eagerly in tow (as well as bunch more they found using our Great Reads for Kids booklist area). It's so rare and awesome when you're reading the right book at the right time, just happen to know it's actually in the building, and match the right patron!
book_nut's review against another edition
4.0
Insightful story about sisters in India in 1975. Deals with issues of tradition, love, duty, desires, and (of course) secret-keeping. A remarkable, and unexpected ending only made a good book that much better.
quietjenn's review against another edition
4.0
Drat, Mitali Perkins! You totally made me cry on public transport. Loved the portrayal of family relationships in this one and the realness of the writing.
pxr014's review against another edition
3.0
Eh. I have many problems with this book, but the ending was quite good. Really, the first half was awful, and that might've gotten a 1-star rating out of me. But there was a five-star ending, so...
lobrarian's review against another edition
5.0
Asha, her mother, and older sister Reet are experiencing huge changes in their lives. Asha's father has lost his job and has gone to New York to try and find work. While he is away, Asha and her family move from their hometown of Delhi to Calcutta to live with her Baba's brother. Life has been changing for Asha for quite a while now; moving, becoming a woman and everything that comes along with that.
Struggling with wanting to live a life she wants, and living up to the expectations of her family, Asha finds solace in the locked diary her Baba has given her. With her Secret Keeper (S.K.), Asha is able to voice everything she feels and not worry about what others think. Asha soon realizes that sometimes you have to do drastic things in life to protect the ones you love, even if it means messing everything up for yourself in the long run.
Perkins does an amazing job of transporting the reader to India. She does this through all the senses; having the reader see the landscapes of Calcutta, tasting the food Ma makes, smelling the rain as Asha sits on the roof, hearing the tinkling bracelets, and feeling the wool that Ma uses. I really enjoyed this story, it's a quick read and will work for middle school to older teens.
I do have to say that in the end, my heart was heavy. I was really hoping that Mitali would take the story down the avenue I wanted, but you can't always get what you want I guess. Overall, a fabulous read.
Struggling with wanting to live a life she wants, and living up to the expectations of her family, Asha finds solace in the locked diary her Baba has given her. With her Secret Keeper (S.K.), Asha is able to voice everything she feels and not worry about what others think. Asha soon realizes that sometimes you have to do drastic things in life to protect the ones you love, even if it means messing everything up for yourself in the long run.
Perkins does an amazing job of transporting the reader to India. She does this through all the senses; having the reader see the landscapes of Calcutta, tasting the food Ma makes, smelling the rain as Asha sits on the roof, hearing the tinkling bracelets, and feeling the wool that Ma uses. I really enjoyed this story, it's a quick read and will work for middle school to older teens.
I do have to say that in the end, my heart was heavy. I was really hoping that Mitali would take the story down the avenue I wanted, but you can't always get what you want I guess. Overall, a fabulous read.
hezann73's review against another edition
3.0
A beautiful story of family, love between sisters and of promises kept. The only reason I didn't give it four stars was because it reminded me so much of the book "Climbing the Stairs" that I sometimes felt I had read it before.
jesslady's review
4.0
Another book I didn't expect to like but was pleasantly surprised. I loved Asha, she was so strong and relatable.
funfetti7's review
5.0
This is a lovely book about a tomboy named Asha growing up in 1970s India. While Asha's father is traveling to the US to find a job, Asha, her mother, and older sister go to live with her father's very traditional relatives in Calcutta. Asha feels stifled by their old-fashioned view of propriety; all she wants to do is go outside and play cricket.
The story is an interesting and realistic glimpse into the lives of a normal Bengali family of this time period. At times, though, I wondered whether this needed to be a historical fiction since I'm sure many people still live with the way Asha's family does (and the author does also refer to this in the afterword). Perkins's writing style is modern and fun and I appreciated how the casually used foreign words were not italicized as they are in other books, which I find very off-putting (there is a glossary in the back which I read before I started and didn't need to look at again). Many readers may be saddened by the ending, but I thought it was a refreshing and realistic choice on the part of the author.
PS I read this on my kindle and the images looked great!
The story is an interesting and realistic glimpse into the lives of a normal Bengali family of this time period. At times, though, I wondered whether this needed to be a historical fiction since I'm sure many people still live with the way Asha's family does (and the author does also refer to this in the afterword). Perkins's writing style is modern and fun and I appreciated how the casually used foreign words were not italicized as they are in other books, which I find very off-putting (there is a glossary in the back which I read before I started and didn't need to look at again). Many readers may be saddened by the ending, but I thought it was a refreshing and realistic choice on the part of the author.
PS I read this on my kindle and the images looked great!
smhq089030's review
4.0
A beautiful story about family, love, and sacrifice. Asha , Reet, and their mother move to their uncle's while their father tries to find a engineer job in America. They think the stay will only be for a couple of months; sadly hit by bad news their stay becomes longer. And during the stay relationships are made with love and anger. Through Asha's voice i realized sometimes you have to make sacrifices for those you love and while making these sacrifices there is hope for better things to come along. Well done Perkins.
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