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Climbing the Stairs

3.83 of 5 stars 3.83 · rating details · 1,391 ratings · 360 reviews

A remarkable debut novel set in India that shows one girl's struggle for independence.

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...more

Hardcover, 256 pages

Published May 1st 2008 by Putnam Juvenile (first published 2008)

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May 13, 2008 Amitha rated it 4 of 5 stars

Before I start this review, I do have to say that I have met the author, and like her very much, but have tried to make this review fair and unbiased. 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 whe...more Before I start this review, I do have to say that I have met the author, and like her very much, but have tried to make this review fair and unbiased. 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.
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May 12, 2010 Athira (Reading on a Rainy Day) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010, fiction, list-south-asian, cat-youth-audience, f-general

"Amma," I said tentatively. "I don't want to get married."
"What, Vidya kanna?" Amma said anxiously.
"I mean, I don't want to get married until I finish school," I said nervously.
Amma's expression cleared a little. "Don't worry," she said. "I'm sure we can wait a little longer. After all, girls are getting married much later these days. Even seventeen is not considered too old anymore."

For me, the essence of Climbing the Stairs was conveyed so expressively in the above conversation. Vidya is a fif...more

"Amma," I said tentatively. "I don't want to get married."
"What, Vidya kanna?" Amma said anxiously.
"I mean, I don't want to get married until I finish school," I said nervously.
Amma's expression cleared a little. "Don't worry," she said. "I'm sure we can wait a little longer. After all, girls are getting married much later these days. Even seventeen is not considered too old anymore."

For me, the essence of Climbing the Stairs was conveyed so expressively in the above conversation. Vidya is a fifteen-year old girl, approaching her marriageable age, not yet ready for it, but intensely desiring to go to college, instead. It was 1941 and India was still under the British rule. Vidya's father, Venkat, being a doctor would attend these marches to help those who were being beaten by the police. During one of those peaceful protest marches, a woman hosting the Indian flag gets beaten by an English policeman and has her sari and blouse ripped off, revealing her stark nudity. Venkat lifts the limp woman to help her, but in the process gets beaten viciously.

In a few minutes, Vidya's life is transformed. Just moments ago, her father promised her proudly that he would send her to college. Bliss was rapidly followed by shock and tragedy, as Vidya witnessed her father's assault. Venkat was reduced to a severely mentally ill person, with no control of his mental faculties.

He became what the others derogatorily called "idiot".

Padma Venkatraman has woven a masterful novel, with very vivid characters, realistic actions and believable situations. The first quarter of the book reveals Vidya's life in Bombay with her parents, her brother, Kitta and her dog, Raja. She has a typical teenager's life, although she occasionally worried about the World War 2 and the protests within her own country. The setting is truly Indian, with many common customs lacing their everyday lives. In India, there is usually one religious festival each month. Traditional homes duly gear up for the festivities every month, and once that month's celebrations were over, they start preparing for the next festival.

After Venkat is disabled, Vidya's family returns to Madras, to stay with their in-laws.

"My place is with my husband's family," amma said flatly. "A married woman must stay at her husband's home."

Vidya faces some of her biggest challenges at Madras, as she tries to battle the age-old beliefs that her family had managed to liberate itself from but were still prevalent back home. Her relatives do not fail to mask their disgust at Venkat's disability. Vidya does not like the school she attends, where she is almost vilified because her father is sick. We come across a mindset that evaluates a family according to the father's occupation. Occasionally, though, I found it unbelievable that someone would ridicule a child because her father is ill. There are rude people, but most of them know to keep their condemning remarks to themselves. Vidya's cousin, Malathi, who attends the same school, doesn't bother to support Vidya, but instead laughs with the others. Malathi is the epitome of a girl who wants to get married and brags about it saying she was "chosen" (by the groom). Soon as her marriage is fixed, she wants to stop going to school, and her parents are even proud of her for that.

The second half of Climbing the Stairs is a poignant description of life in a traditional Indian household. The women folk sleep downstairs while the men folk sleep upstairs. They usually get to meet only during mealtimes. There is only one other bedroom in the house, which the couples take turns to use. When food is served, the men have their fill first. The women eat second.*

When Vidya realizes that she has no avenue for learning in the house, because of the tons of chores that are cast her way, she asks her grandfather for permission to use the upstairs library, where no woman has set foot before. She breaks an unwritten rule in the process but she gets what she asks for. The simple journey to the library, reached by "climbing the stairs", sets in motion an incredible saga that transforms Vidya in so many ways.

It's been almost a week since I read this book, and I still can't stop raving enough about it. There is so much more that I want to say, but then I would have to write another post. What I appreciated the most about the book is that it is truly Indian. But I have to warn that there are plenty of references to Indian customs and festivals, without giving much information about them. So if you are not very familiar with the Indian culture, you can get a bit lost. If you don't mind looking up references once in a while, which is how we sometimes read books set in a country we are not familiar with, then I strongly suggest that you try this. Climbing the Stairs is geared towards the YA audience, but can be enjoyed by anyone, since the themes addressed are universal.(less)

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Aug 22, 2010 Anne Osterlund rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Vidya is a fifteen-year-old girl living in Bombay, India during World War II. She loves climbing trees, spending time with her friend, Rifka, and her dog, Raja. And she has dreams of going to college. A dream her father promises to help make come true.

But her father is a member of Gandhi’s non-violent freedom fighter movement against the British. And when Vidya rushes out into the street in the midst of a protest, her entire world changes.

Into the strangling, tradition-bound realm of her grandfa...more

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Jan 22, 2009 Peggy rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is the story of a 15-year-old girl in British-occupied India during World War II and her struggle to be her own person and go to college instead of following the traditions of her strict culture. It is a good role model for girls today. There is outstanding imagery portrayed in descriptive language with good insight into Indian culture and religion. The realistic characterization uses opposites to portray the father/uncle and brother/sister. Prejudice is captured in the description of the N...more

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May 24, 2011 Sarah rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: school-library, favorites

I loved reading about how World War II affected India, I learned a lot of new terms, and the Indian culture was fascinating. I feel awful for the Indian women, they are the men's slaves, and have to do the chores. It's all about getting married, and keeping your husband happy, no college unless he allows. I would hate that! Vidya was lucky to have an education.

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Jun 07, 2008 Edie rated it 4 of 5 stars

While this is a very ambitious book, tackling the British rule of India, Gandhiji's efforts to a non-violent revolution, the role of women in India during World War II, a young girl's sense of guilt over her father's life altering injury and her ambition which flies in the face of tradition and some family expectations. But the author pulls it off well, the heroine's voice is clear and genuine and at least this reader identified with her and cared about her. While some of the secondary character...more

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Mar 09, 2013 Su rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, world-war-ii, favorites, young-adult, para-crear-lectores

No creí que ocurriera tan pronto pero ya leí la novela que me conmovió más que "El pan de la guerra".

Vidya es una adolescente de quince años durante la Segunda Guerra Mundial, antes de la invasión japonesa. Anhela ir a la universidad y no quiere casarse, a pesar de que a los diecisiete sería demasiado vieja para los estándares del honor y recato de su país. Ella quiere ser libre de un sistema en el que las mujeres no pueden estudiar y al casarse se convierten en una extensión de su marido, atad...more No creí que ocurriera tan pronto pero ya leí la novela que me conmovió más que "El pan de la guerra".

Vidya es una adolescente de quince años durante la Segunda Guerra Mundial, antes de la invasión japonesa. Anhela ir a la universidad y no quiere casarse, a pesar de que a los diecisiete sería demasiado vieja para los estándares del honor y recato de su país. Ella quiere ser libre de un sistema en el que las mujeres no pueden estudiar y al casarse se convierten en una extensión de su marido, atadas a complejas redes familiares antiguas y socioculturales.

Un día Vidya y su padre atestiguan una protesta a favor de la independencia de India, donde los participantes se manifiestan bajo las enseñanzas de la no violencia de Gandhi. Trágicamente su padre es sometido por soldados británicos, dejándolo tan mal herido que de ser un respetado doctor se convierte en "el tonto de la familia". Como lo dictan las leyes sociales, deben quedarse con la familia de su padre, un hogar mucho más ortodoxo y ceremonial, por lo que los sueños de Vidya parecen esfumarse. Es una historia que sabe retratar el contexto internacional a pesar del cerrado mundo femenino de India, confinado al hogar enteramente.

Afortunadamente el año pasado leí "La India Contemporánea", lo que me ayudó a comprender un poco más el ideario indio y su sistema de castas. No creo que sea necesario consultar algo en cada capítulo, pero si que permite mirar los detalles del día a día, o las reacciones de los personajes en ciertas situaciones. El uso del contexto de la Segunda Guerra Mundial es interesante por lo ajeno que a Vidya le resulta gracias al claustro de género que vive; utilizar a su hermano como principal enlace es herramienta que muy al principio deja ver su destino.

La forma en que se resolvió el conflicto final con Rama me emocionó mucho. El epílogo epistolar fue un bonito detalle.

Hay tantas cosas hermosas, pero en definitiva lo mejor fue leer a una joven emocionada por escabullirse en una biblioteca prohibida. El personaje de Vidya es casi tangible, la voz que su autora logra imprimir es vibrante, llena de vida a pesar de todo.(less)

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Sep 30, 2012 bjneary rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction, multicultural-fiction, reading-olympics, ya

Vidya is an Indian girl in the 1940's with a close knit family. Vidya's father is a doctor and she has a mother and a brother. It is during a march when her father helps a woman who has been thrashed by the British soldiers that he is in turn, viciously beaten and is no longer a vibrant doctor but dependent on his family for his every need. Vidya's family must go live with her father's family, work long hours and endure insults and slurs. Vidya once wanted to attend school and even though this s...more

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Aug 10, 2012 Pam rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

On the brink of major world and national events in history, Vidya lives a good life in India with loving parents amma (mother), appa (father) and brother Kitta. While India begins to follow the passive resistance teachings of Gandhi to break free from Britian’s rule, the caste system is still part of regular life, and most arranged marriages are the norm, her father promises her that she can go to college. A tragedy occurs, and Vidya and family are forced to go live with her father’s family, whe...more

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Aug 02, 2011 Shaya rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction, summer-fall-2011

I quite enjoyed Climbing the Stairs. I'm not at all familiar with Indian culture but it definitely seems very different from American culture.

There were a few moments when I was completely appalled at how few freedoms women in India had at that time period. Like this passage:

"Amma," I said tentatively. "I don't want to get married."
"What, Vidya kanna?" Amma said anxiously.
"I mean, I don't want to get married until I finish school," I said nervously.
Amma's expression cleared a little. "Don't...more

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Jul 29, 2011 Savannah rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction

I really like Indian literature, it shows how other cultures can operateso differently in one world. I wish to one day go to India. This book is about a fifteen year old girl who's life was canged all because her father was injured. Cause women cannot work with no experience what so ever. Her whole family; Kitta, Appa, Amma, and Kanna(main character). She must leave her friend, her school, her house, everything she didn't even take books or anything with her. The relatives they move in with are...more

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Jul 05, 2011 Alex Baugh rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: world-war-2

It is 1941 and 15 year old Vidya is a lucky girl. Though she was born into India’s upper Brahman caste, her parents are very liberal; she is able to attend a private girls’ school; and she can dream about the possibility of going to college, a rare privilege for Indian women, who are expected to marry relatively young. And she is exceedingly proud when she discovers that her father, a doctor, is using his medical skills helping the injured victims of Ghandi’s non-violent Freedom Fighters, as the...more It is 1941 and 15 year old Vidya is a lucky girl. Though she was born into India’s upper Brahman caste, her parents are very liberal; she is able to attend a private girls’ school; and she can dream about the possibility of going to college, a rare privilege for Indian women, who are expected to marry relatively young. And she is exceedingly proud when she discovers that her father, a doctor, is using his medical skills helping the injured victims of Ghandi’s non-violent Freedom Fighters, as they demonstrate against British colonialism and for an independent India.

Vidya seems to have everything until one rash act brings it all to an end. While riding in the car with her father, they are forced to stop when they encounter a Freedom Fighter demonstration and Vidya jumps out of the car to join them. They quickly get separated as she swept into the crowd. Running after her, her father stops to help a woman who has been beaten by a British policeman who then brutally beats him too. Vidya’s father survives, but he is now severely brain damaged, a shell of his former self.

The family is forced to move to Madras, to live with her father’s more traditional family. And it is clear from the start that they are not welcomed. Vidya’s aunt and her cousin Malati treat her with pure resentment and contempt, constantly reminding Vidya that her beloved father is now little more than an ‘idiot’ and no one will want to marry her because of that. The only relief Vidya gets from her new life is escape through the books she discovers in her grandfather’s library. And it is there she meets Raman, another unwelcome person in the house.

As if the move to Madras weren’t enough, after the Japanese bomb Pearl Harbor, the war also begins to affect the family's daily lives. A bomb shelter is built in the house, sirens wail and air raid drills begin at night and rationing starts. But when Vidya’s brother, Kitta, announces that he is joining the voluntary British India Army, despite their father’s non-violent beliefs, the war really hits home. The Japanese, he explains to her, are coming closer and closer and would like the victory of taking India, “…the Jewel in the British Crown.” (pg 171)

Throughout everything, Vidya has never told anyone the circumstances of her father’s beating by the British, though she feels completely responsible. It is a difficult burden for a 15 year old to live with. Now with the possibility of never seeing Kitta again, it is doubly difficult. It is beginning to feel like all of Vidya’s hopes and dreams are going be swallowed up by loss and tradition. Can she find the strength to overcome the adverse circumstances she finds herself in, and become the independent woman she wants to be?
Reading Climbing the Stairs made me realize that I know almost nothing about the impact World War II had on India and the role India played. It also made me aware of how little I really know about Indian culture. But Padma Venkatraman has done a wonderful job of weaving together information about both in Vidya’s story.

The first this I noticed in Climbing the Stairs is the importance of religion. Daily life revolves the Hindu religion and Venkatraman has named many of the chapters after the different religious festivals. As Vidya helps prepare for these days, she also describes for the reader the spiritual reason for the celebration, the preparations involved and the way the holiday is celebrated within the family.

Penkatraman also deftly incorporates the structure and way of life in a traditional Indian household and the difficulties the more modern Vidya encounters as she tries to adjust to living with her extended family in Madras. Vidya had experienced life in this household during summer visits, but living it full time is another story.
Climbing the Stairs is an excellent coming of age set in a time and place many readers might not know about. For me, it was an opportunity to read about the impact of World War II on a young person in circumstances not familiar to me. The story never favors a modern way of life over the traditional Indian way, and it doesn’t ask the reader to make a judgment either. Instead, it shows that the best of both could be part of Indian life. Of course, knowing that India becomes an independent country in 1947, Vidya seemed to me to be a symbol of a new India – a perfect blend of both tradition and modern.

My only complaint about this book is that I would have liked a pronunciation guide for some of the Indian words and a map that showed both the colonial name and the Indian name of the places mentioned.

Other than that, I think Climbing the Stairs is an excellent debut novel by Padma Venkatraman as well as the perfect addition to any reading on diversity and I would highly recommend it

This book is recommended for readers 12 and up.
This book was borrowed from the Webster Branch of the NYPL.
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Nov 02, 2010 AlixJamie rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Oct 28, 2010 Adrienne rated it 3 of 5 stars

Fifteen-year old Vidya lives a privileged life in British-occupied India during World War II: her family loves her, she attends a girls' school and is working toward her dream of going to college with her parents' blessing. When a family tragedy forces them to leave their home and live with in her grandfather's house, Vidya's life is turned upside down.

Before she lived in comfortable daily association with her father, brother and mother; now she is separated downstairs with the women while the...more Fifteen-year old Vidya lives a privileged life in British-occupied India during World War II: her family loves her, she attends a girls' school and is working toward her dream of going to college with her parents' blessing. When a family tragedy forces them to leave their home and live with in her grandfather's house, Vidya's life is turned upside down.

Before she lived in comfortable daily association with her father, brother and mother; now she is separated downstairs with the women while the men live upstairs. Before she was praised for her academic achievements; now she is merely a female, a servant, a burden to be married off.

However, Vidya's dreams of college survive and she finds comfort in the forbidden upstairs library. There she meets Raman, a young man also living in the house. Raman treats Vidya as an equal and encourages her curiosity for learning as well as her efforts to educate him.

Just as life is looking up, Kitta, her brother, makes a shocking decision which her grandfather will not ignore. Vidya's life again spirals out of control as she tries to deal with the consequences---emotional, physical, political---and she questions her strength to endure.

Set against other examples of teen fiction, yes, this book is good. The setting is vivid and tangible; the subjects are discussed enough to be informative and enlightening; the characters embody genuine and plausible emotions and reactions. Despite its good qualities, it lacks flesh and completion. The whole dilemma about fighting in World War II tends to feel disjointed from the rest of the story. It gets discussed through philosophies and quotes of what other people say, instead of through firsthand conviction. Perhaps, as an adult, I see the inadequacies when I think of great writing. Like Dostoyevsky, Austen, Hosseini, Harper, and so many others who I admire and love and read over and over again.

Overall, I enjoyed it and would recommend it to others and to my children when they are older, but it does not stand as a masterpiece of historical fiction. Thus, 3 stars. Good, but not great.(less)

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Aug 25, 2010 Sheryl rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction

The premise of the book sounded very interesting and I did enjoy the description of India as a British colony during World War II. However, I found it difficult to really like the main character. She seemed at once both too modern (I kept forgetting that the setting was WWII and not the 21st century) and too shallow. She feels great guilt for what happened to her father but does little to alleviate this guilt. She feels bad for her mother but doesn't often try to comfort her. She believes in non...more

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Jul 20, 2010 Rachael rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fun-fiction-ya

Quick read (just the way I like them).
I have never read a book about India during World War II. I have always been fascinated by Indian cultures, beliefs, religions, etc. This is little gem of historical fiction. I enjoyed that the author told (in an Author's Note at the end of the book) which parts of the book were based on her own family history or actually events.

The main character, Vidya, was interesting. I grow tired of girls always running away rather than talking them out. That was one...more

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Mar 25, 2010 Cynthia rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: great-chapter-books

I've read many book for young adults set during WWII, but this is the first book I've read that is set in India during that time period. Vidya is a 15 year old girl living with her family in Bombay. Her father is a successful doctor and she has led a sheltered, indulgent life. That all ends when tragedy strikes her family and they have to go to Madras to live with her father's family. Young Vidya must give up all that is familiar to her to live in a world of solitude and silence in her grandfath...more

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Jan 05, 2010 K rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Mallika

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Aug 11, 2009 Debbie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: oldbooks-historicalfiction

Vidya is a bright ambitious girl who lives in Bombay with her family during WWII. After a tragic accident, her family has to move to another city and live with their extended family, whose way of life is much more restrictive than Vidya is used to.

I know very very little about India, so I found this book enjoyably informative. (History is so much easier to learn from novels than from textbooks.) I had heard of Gandhi of course, but I probably couldn't have told you that he was associated with fr...more

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Apr 04, 2013 Jackie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical, ya-fiction, india, multicultural, wars-wwii, romance

With a world at war all around them, Vidya, a young girl and her family are at war amongst themselves, too. India is a land steeped in rich traditions, yet the peaceful land is on the edge of turmoil. Her once brilliant father, a doctor, was brutally beaten by British officers during a peaceful protest inspired by the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi. Now virtually a vegetable, her father and the family must rely on relatives to sustain them. But, most of her father's family is resentful of this chan...more

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Nov 27, 2012 Karyl rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, library-reads, young-adult-reads

It is 1941, and 15-year-old Vidya lives in Bombay with her mother, her father, and her older brother. Life is good for her; she lives a rather modern life, going to school instead of being forced to marry young, and has been promised that she can go to college to further her education, a rare thing for Indian girls in those days. But alas, her father is severely injured and can no longer take care of his family. Instead they move to her grandfather's home, a place where traditional living holds...more

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Aug 14, 2010 Erin rated it 3 of 5 stars

This book is on my required reading list for the children's lit class I'll start in the fall and I thought I'd try and get ahead of the game a little. It surprises me that this would be on the list for a class for el. ed. teachers though, because I certainly wouldn't classify this as a book for K-6 readers. I'd say more in the YA category. There were some things mentioned that I would consider for more adult readers, and there was a short violent scene that left me feeling pretty green for a wh...more

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Oct 09, 2012 Pearl rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: miller-ya-group

The novel “Climbing the Stairs”, may not start out as an exciting story, but when you consider the period in time (WWII) and the country (India during the occupation of the British government), I was able to become interested in this young woman’s life and that of her family relation. Her father Appa was not the “traditional” Indian father figure at that time; meaning he was more understanding of how women and the non-Brahmim class were treated. He considers caste system as a “social evil”. I be...more

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Mar 11, 2012 04MaddieK rated it 4 of 5 stars

I discovered the book Climbing the Stairs from my sister. She bought it before going on a trip. She loved it, so she gave it to me to read. From the moment I began page one I couldn't put it down. It was so captivating, anyone would read it non-stop until the story was finished. Since I first finished it, I have read it three more times. I never grow tired of the story, every time it feels like the first. Like I am experiencing it right then and there. It is a very well written story, and what...more I discovered the book Climbing the Stairs from my sister. She bought it before going on a trip. She loved it, so she gave it to me to read. From the moment I began page one I couldn't put it down. It was so captivating, anyone would read it non-stop until the story was finished. Since I first finished it, I have read it three more times. I never grow tired of the story, every time it feels like the first. Like I am experiencing it right then and there. It is a very well written story, and what makes me love it even more is that it is very different.

Climing the Stairs is about a girl named Vidya, who lives in India during World War II. Her father is seriously injured in a Protest March, and her family is forced to go live in Madras with all of her father's family. Vidya is devastated that she has to leave her life behind, but she has no choice. Once in Madras, she is treated horribly by her aunt periamma and her uncle periappa. She hates it there, but secretly finds refuge in a library upstairs. Although, this is unbelievable given the fact that the women are not allowed upstairs only the men. But, as soon as her secret place is found out, she isn't punished by her grandfather, Thatha. He takes pity on her and is very kind to her. During all this, she is becoming very fond of a boy named Raman. They become very good friends, but you know that Raman does not think of Vidya in that way. But, Vidya won't even think of marriage, she is aiming for college. As she has her entire life. But, this is a very ambitious dream, one that only men are allowed to have. As the war gets worse, Vidya's brother decides to enlist in the Army, which is a forbidden thing in the Indian culture. Against the wants of his family he leaves and Vidya is heartbroken about not having her brother. Thatha sees how unhappy Vidya is and decides to help her out. He promises her that she can go to college, and Vidya is thrilled. Raman tries to marry Vidya, but she won't accept. Because she says she isn't ready. Then Raman announces he is headed to America to continue his schooling, and Vidya can't bear the thought of not having him. She decides to promise Raman that she will marry him, but only in good time. She wants to finish college and be her own person before she marries, he agrees and he goes off to America. The book ends with a letter from Vidya to Raman, she talks about how she is so happy now, and is very excited to be in college. She tells him how she is looking forward to crossing that bridge as she goes to America to marry him when she is ready, and that she loves him.

I love this book because the romance in it isn't sappy or unrealistic. It ends happy, but not what you expected. I loved how different it was, and how I learned so much about the Indian culture. I loved this book so much, and I would like to persuade anyone and everyone to read this book.(less)

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Apr 20, 2009 Christine rated it 4 of 5 stars

I have to say that this is my favorite way to learn history, through a novel, set in a foreign country during an era less known to me. Vidya is an Indian girl growing up in World War II India. This novel touches on the Hindu caste system, British rule of India, and Hitler’s army encroaching ever closer to her home. Talking through Vidya, the author gives us insight into the Hindu religion and way of life in 1942 India. Vidya is a dutiful and independent minded daughter of Brahmin parents. Her fa...more

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Dec 09, 2010 Diana rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, historical-fiction

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jul 14, 2010 Emily (Lihua Lili) Petit rated it 5 of 5 stars

Fifteen-year-old Vidya wants to go to college. This is, of course ... rather a weird choice in British-occupied India of the early 1940's.

But Appa, Vidya's father, doesn't see why she shouldn't. When Vidya receives encouragement from her charismatic and loving father, she is thrilled and compelled by the peace march they happen upon in the street. Despite Appa's warnings, Vidya follows him into the crowd ... and her universe collapses.

Written gently, with the flavor of an exotic and beautiful to...more

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Sep 25, 2011 Michele rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: audio, ya

This beautiful book is about a young girl finding her path toward becoming a woman. The setting is India in 1941; India on the edge of World War II and independence, much like the main character, 15 year old Vidya. It is a slow-moving book, but so well drawn that I felt like I was right there, trapped in the gender-divided household with Vidya. Part of the beauty of this book is that while there is some description of things specifically Indian, it does not explain every detail didactically.

Vid...more

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Nov 05, 2009 Heather rated it 3 of 5 stars

Lately I've come across a few novels dealing with WWII in different areas of the globe, likeSarah's Key,The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, and The Book Thief. This is the first time I've read anything dealing with life in India during this war. This book does a good job of dealing with all of the issues of that time, like India's struggle to be independent, their reactions to the call to fight in WWII, and the treatment of women.

But even with all of the seriousness of those issue...more

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Oct 25, 2012 Becky B rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction, international-schools, misfits, wwii, young-adult

Working at an International school, I am always hunting for good fiction that authentically represents the cultures of our students in a non-offensive way, is interesting, and well-written. This one fits the bill perfectly.

Vidya is the younger of two sibblings in a more modern Brahmin Indian family during the beginnings of WWII. Her father is a doctor, active in the nonviolent Indian freedom movement, who believes that the caste system isn't necessarily right and that his daughter should have t...more Working at an International school, I am always hunting for good fiction that authentically represents the cultures of our students in a non-offensive way, is interesting, and well-written. This one fits the bill perfectly.

Vidya is the younger of two sibblings in a more modern Brahmin Indian family during the beginnings of WWII. Her father is a doctor, active in the nonviolent Indian freedom movement, who believes that the caste system isn't necessarily right and that his daughter should have the freedom to go to college before marrying (uncommon at the time). Vidya and her father are returning to their home one day when they have to stop because of a protest. Vidya gets swept up in the hype and leaves the car against her father's wishes. He tries to stop her, ends up helping a woman being beaten by the British police, and is himself beaten until he suffers severe brain damage. At this point Vidya's life dramatically changes. She, her mother, brother, and her father must then go to live with the rest of her father's family in a more traditional Brahmin household. Vidya's life is made miserable by her aunt and uncle, and she realizes she will probably never get to go to college now. The one bright spot in her life is the library, which she at first visits on the sly --since it lies up on the mens' floor where women are forbidden-- and then, thanks to the all-powerful word of thatha (her Grandfather) she is granted access to daily. Climbing the stairs to the library ends up changing her life for the better in several ways.

I enjoyed the authentic glimpse into Indian culture with some history of WWII in India thrown in (several characters and situations were based on the author's family). Vidya is an endearing, spunky protagonist, struggling between her desires for independence and knowledge, guilt over her father's condition, and the constraints of expectations of culture and family. I know my Indian students (and many others) will love her and identify with her.(less)

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About Padma Venkatraman

Padma Venkatraman was born in Chennai, India. When she was young she took a liking toward mathematics, science, and literature. Because she loved numbers, and words, she decided to move to the U.S. and study oceanography.
Padma has had various jobs in oceanography from being the head chief and living in Germany, to a post doctoral researcher at the Whiting School of Engineering at Johns Hopkins...more

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