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A review by dhrish
Ritu Weds Chandni by Ameya Narvankar
5.0
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Yali Books for giving me this arc to review
This is exactly the kind of book I would like to have read as a young child and I am so very happy that children do get a book like this. Ameya Narvankar wrote a beautiful story that comes alive with the illustrations.
The story itself is a nuanced tale about love. Ayesha loves her cousin Ritu, but more importantly, she doesn't see why Ritu's marriage to Chandni should be any different to any wedding she has been a part of before.
It doesn't matter to Ayesha that her cousin is marrying her girlfriend, rather than a much more socially acceptable boyfriend. That optimism gives Ayesha the ability to be brave even when those around her don't see it as bravery. Ayesha just wants her cousin to have the same experiences on her wedding day that the cousins before her have had and I admire that.
I don't think it is very often that we get to read stories as Desi's about Queer triumph in our own circles and I love that with the art we get a story about triumph. We get a story about familial love and that marriage should be a celebration of that love. That our communities shouldn't be able to dictate who we love on the basis of sex or gender but rather by the worth of their character.
I definitely recommend this children's book and I hope to see more desi books on queer topics that feature joy.
This is exactly the kind of book I would like to have read as a young child and I am so very happy that children do get a book like this. Ameya Narvankar wrote a beautiful story that comes alive with the illustrations.
The story itself is a nuanced tale about love. Ayesha loves her cousin Ritu, but more importantly, she doesn't see why Ritu's marriage to Chandni should be any different to any wedding she has been a part of before.
It doesn't matter to Ayesha that her cousin is marrying her girlfriend, rather than a much more socially acceptable boyfriend. That optimism gives Ayesha the ability to be brave even when those around her don't see it as bravery. Ayesha just wants her cousin to have the same experiences on her wedding day that the cousins before her have had and I admire that.
I don't think it is very often that we get to read stories as Desi's about Queer triumph in our own circles and I love that with the art we get a story about triumph. We get a story about familial love and that marriage should be a celebration of that love. That our communities shouldn't be able to dictate who we love on the basis of sex or gender but rather by the worth of their character.
I definitely recommend this children's book and I hope to see more desi books on queer topics that feature joy.