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A review by circleofreadersdruid
Ahimsa by Supriya Kelkar
5.0
Ahimsa offers a fascinating glimpse into the world of the freedom movement in India in the 1940s. While I knew a little about Indian history from movies like Gandhi and Water, it was interesting seeing it all from the perspective of 10-year-old Anjali. I think kids will really connect with her as she grapples with giving up the trappings of her privileged lifestyle and learns to embrace the movement.
A minor gripe of mine is that Kelkar refers to a Gandhi quote several times that is slightly inaccurate. Gandhi never actually said "Be the change you wish to see in the world." He said something similar when he said, "We but mirror the world. All the tendencies present in the outer world are to be found in the world of our body. If we could change ourselves, the tendencies in the world would also change. As a man changes his own nature, so does the attitude of the world change towards him. This is the divine mystery supreme. A wonderful thing it is and the source of our happiness. We need not wait to see what others do." With the incredible attention to detail Kelkar uses in the rest of the book, this mistake rubbed me the wrong way every time it popped up.
*****EDIT 7/11/17: If you'll check the comments, [a:Supriya Kelkar|6520664|Supriya Kelkar|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1491535680p2/6520664.jpg] was kind enough to respond to my review and assure me that this has been revised for the final publication. Hooray for great editing and authors!!!*****
Highly recommended for kids who like reading about other countries and historical events, and adults will like this one too.
A minor gripe of mine is that Kelkar refers to a Gandhi quote several times that is slightly inaccurate. Gandhi never actually said "Be the change you wish to see in the world." He said something similar when he said, "We but mirror the world. All the tendencies present in the outer world are to be found in the world of our body. If we could change ourselves, the tendencies in the world would also change. As a man changes his own nature, so does the attitude of the world change towards him. This is the divine mystery supreme. A wonderful thing it is and the source of our happiness. We need not wait to see what others do." With the incredible attention to detail Kelkar uses in the rest of the book, this mistake rubbed me the wrong way every time it popped up.
*****EDIT 7/11/17: If you'll check the comments, [a:Supriya Kelkar|6520664|Supriya Kelkar|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1491535680p2/6520664.jpg] was kind enough to respond to my review and assure me that this has been revised for the final publication. Hooray for great editing and authors!!!*****
Highly recommended for kids who like reading about other countries and historical events, and adults will like this one too.