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Gifted
A dazzling first novel about a math prodigy who is being groomed by her parents to attend Oxford at the age of fourteen, Gifted heralds the arrival of a remarkable new talent.
Numbers have filled Rumi Vashey’s world since she first learned to count. But it was on a trip to India at the age of eight that her mathematical powers acquired their almost supernatural significance...more
Numbers have filled Rumi Vashey’s world since she first learned to count. But it was on a trip to India at the age of eight that her mathematical powers acquired their almost supernatural significance...more
Hardcover, 288 pages
Published
September 11th 2007
by Bond Street Books
(first published 2007)
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I found this book uneven, but the raggedness with which the story unfolds is in some ways a perfect mirror for the way that this child's life gradually goes further and further off course. I appreciated that none of the deeply flawed main characters was portrayed a villain, and, in particular, how well the author captured Rumi's growing bafflement and chaotic inner experience.
I read this book quickly but found myself thinly satisfied at the end. Rumi's character and internal life were flat and undeveloped; the author attempted but fell short of her target. I felt a detachment from all the characters. I felt I was reading descriptions instead of internal experiences of consciousness. In fact, it reminded me of a psychological case study rather than a story.[return][return]For a woman as sheltered as Rumi, the scenario with the Muslim college student rang false. She wa...more
I am biased towards this book, because it resonates with me for two reasons: the first is that Rumi is the daughter of immigrant parents and has to somehow fit between her parents' culture and the culture of 80's UK, and the second, that she is a 'gifted' child suffocating under extreme parental pressure.
For me, this book was a sort of validation of the feelings and problems I had when I was a teenager. If it weren't for that, I wouldn't have loved it so much, but I think it's still a great book...more
For me, this book was a sort of validation of the feelings and problems I had when I was a teenager. If it weren't for that, I wouldn't have loved it so much, but I think it's still a great book...more
I'd have given this book another star if the main characters were a little more pleasant to be around. I understand that they are motivated by complicated histories and deeply set psychological issues, but really, this could have used a little humor here or there. That said, I really liked this book, it was a great insight into race in 70's/80's UK, the "prodigy" obsession and the ways parents live though their children. I also like that the protagonist finds ways to make decisions in her life a...more
This was a really haunting story about a girl whose parents are from India, and how they push her to become a child prodigy in math. It asks a lot of really important questions, such as, "When is it appropriate to force a child to explore their talents, and when does this turn into abuse?" "How important is it for a gifted child to have a normal childhood, versus seeing how far their talents will take them?"
It brought up some painful memories from my childhood. And it helped me assess my extreme...more
It brought up some painful memories from my childhood. And it helped me assess my extreme...more
I discovered this title while perusing the New York Times Book Review, which I never do but the title IS catchy.
I completely disagree with Goodreads review of this book and dismiss the actual writing quality of this work as having no voice, perhaps because the author is so young?
The important subject to discuss about the book is the parents/child dynamic. Black Americans say that their children have to do much more academic work in both quantity and quality than Whites in order to just get to...more
I completely disagree with Goodreads review of this book and dismiss the actual writing quality of this work as having no voice, perhaps because the author is so young?
The important subject to discuss about the book is the parents/child dynamic. Black Americans say that their children have to do much more academic work in both quantity and quality than Whites in order to just get to...more
Fascinating concept, but totally unfulfilling conclusion! At age five, Rumi's teacher informs her parents that she is unusually gifted in math, and her father sets her on a relentless (perhaps even abusive) pursuit of academic excellence-- to the exclusion of any type of normal childhood. As the parent of an EXTREMELY intelligent toddler, I found Mr. Vasi's choices to be exactly what I would FEAR doing to my son. The book follows Rumi to Oxford at the age of 15, but seems to end rather abruptly...more
This book was about a very talented child named Rumika Vasi. But when puberty strikes Rumi struggles with deciding to folow her dad's dream of her being the youngest girl to go to a university or be with the one she likes. Her mother's longings for her to pick up her heritage and become a wife in India was one of the many problems Rumika faces in this book. Rumi wants to be a normal teen, the one who loves to listen to music, like boys, etc. But Rumi faces many pressures that causes her to do th...more
This debut novel by India-born, Britain-raised writer Nikita Lalwani takes an intriguing premise and plods with it to a disappointing end.
Though unstated in her acknowledgements, the writer was obviously inspired by the true story of Sufiah Yusof, a mathematics prodigy who entered Oxford at the age of 12 in 1997, only to run away three years later, claiming she had been emotionally abused by her ambitious father.
In the book, Rumi is the maths genius daughter of Indian immigrants who is coached b...more
Though unstated in her acknowledgements, the writer was obviously inspired by the true story of Sufiah Yusof, a mathematics prodigy who entered Oxford at the age of 12 in 1997, only to run away three years later, claiming she had been emotionally abused by her ambitious father.
In the book, Rumi is the maths genius daughter of Indian immigrants who is coached b...more
2 likes · like · see review
I read this book because it was long listed for the Booker Prize, and I have a real fondness for those books--this was an unusual one (Joel would say it should have won it was so unusual--he does not share my fondness :-) RUmi, the main character (we occasionally see the world through the eyes of one of her parents, but mostly we observe them through her or their public selves) is an odd duck--hard to tell how much of it is the math geek thing, and how much of it is that her father keeps her in...more
This book is about an Indian family living in Wales. The parents (Mahesh and Shreene) learn that their daughter (Rumi) is basically a genius at math. So math becomes her whole life. After school, she has to go to the library and work on math problems for two hours. She's not allowed to talk to anyone, even if she runs into someone she knows from school--she just has to focus on the math problems. (In case of an emergency, she is allowed to talk to the librarian.)
The book raises really interestin...more
The book raises really interestin...more
Written by the UK based Indian author Nikita Lalwani, Gifted explores several themes; the intensified importance of education for Indians - all the more for Indian immigrants, the pressures of adolescence, the confusions creeping in the second generation immigrants where they fight to strike a balance between their social life and their roots.
The book describes the story of Rumika Vasi, a second generation Indian immigrant living in UK with her parents and a younger brother. At the age of 5, Ru...more
The book describes the story of Rumika Vasi, a second generation Indian immigrant living in UK with her parents and a younger brother. At the age of 5, Ru...more
What initially drew me to this book was it's pretty cover. I loved the typographical design with numbers, a play on the protagonist Rumi's love of math. That being said, the book itself was just ok.
The premise of the story was good, exposing the differing points of view of teenage math prodigé Rumi growing up in Wales, with that of her traditional Indian parents. I enjoyed the glimpses into their opposing psyches, but I found these rather superficial and not developed sufficiently. My favourite...more
The premise of the story was good, exposing the differing points of view of teenage math prodigé Rumi growing up in Wales, with that of her traditional Indian parents. I enjoyed the glimpses into their opposing psyches, but I found these rather superficial and not developed sufficiently. My favourite...more
The broad contours of this book are easy to relate to for those of us who skipped a grade, spent middle school being smart but not popular, or grew up in families where academic achievement is priority numero uno. But there is also a lot in the book that occurs on the margins, and can't be related to as easily. Well-meaning parents in a new cultural setting create an environment that would be repressive for any adolescent, no matter how brilliant, and is eventually proven unsustainable. The book...more
Very moving and emotive account of a young Indian girl in the UK who is hothoused to achieve academic greatness while at the same time cracking up under familial pressure while desperately just wanting to fit in with her peers.
I could hardly stand this book. It was nominated for the booker prize (the longlist for 2007), and that's why I read the thing. I was expecting something completely different from what the book was actually about. What was it supposed to be? Control-freak parents? Immigrant mentality (whatever that is)? A coming of age story? It didn't satisfactorily resolve anything. Rumi was well developed, but her character goes from being interesting to a total loser and I'm not sure what kind of redemption...more
1 like · like · see review
Gifted is about a family from India living in London, with a focus on the daughter who has a gift for mathematics. Her father insists on educating her to make the most of this gift, and as a result she is kept close to home in study sessions when other children are having normal social lives. The story highlights cultural riffs, as well as the patriarchal dynamics of the family. The father, who is a successful professor, can not see any reason for his daughter to do anything except math. The sto...more
The writing in Gifted is so interesting and subtle. The only disappointment for me was the ending,which I didn't think fit the characters.
2 likes · like · see review
This was a very interesting book that stays with you for a long time. (Good thing or I wouldn't be able to still review it.) It reminds me of a steaming,pungent beef biryani. The characters are Indian immigrants living in England: well educated parents, who think they know best and their stubborn teenage daughter living in a foreign world they cannot imagine. Like the biryani the story is at turns exotic and familiar. The age old story of parents vs.teenager with an overlay of the Indian culture...more
Gifted explores the pressures on an exceptionally gifted child. Rumi Vasi is identified as a potential genius in mathematics when she is quite small; her father turns his back on the traditional programs for such children, instead crafting his own rigorous schedule that allows no childhood frivolities. Her isolation and sense of difference is exacerbated by her parents, Indian immigrants in Cardiff, Wales who constantly remind their eldest daughter of her Indian roots, and the expectations that...more
I read this book in a day, so it's a very quick read. I wasn't enamored with the story. I don't hate it, but I felt like I was constantly waiting for the story to start, for something to happen. Even when events finally did transpire they seemed almost incomplete. I appreciated getting to hear all 3 family members POV as it allowed insight into each character and helped me connect on some level with each. I think I sympathized most with Rumi's mom. The author did a good job of showing the diffic...more
Gifted is an interesting look at the immigrant experience through the eyes of a young math prodigy. Rumika is the daughter of two Indian emigres, her highly disciplined father and her very religious and traditional mother. Both see Rumi as their prodigy, their one real chance to succeed beyond measure. But Rumi is just a young girl, never allowed to let loose and be normal. As she nears accomplishments even her parents never thought she could reach the tension within her builds. In the end Rumi...more
om Publishers Weekly
In this penetrating coming-of-age debut from London-based Lalwani, 14-year-old Rumika Vasi struggles to fulfill her mathematical gifts and her family's demands on them, while also finding friendship and romance. Rumi, labeled gifted in kindergarten, becomes subject to the grim home teaching of her father, Mahesh, a professor of mathematics at the University of Swansea in Wales. The goal: to be accepted to Oxford by age 14. Shreene, Rumi's mother, resentfully accepts the hous...more
In this penetrating coming-of-age debut from London-based Lalwani, 14-year-old Rumika Vasi struggles to fulfill her mathematical gifts and her family's demands on them, while also finding friendship and romance. Rumi, labeled gifted in kindergarten, becomes subject to the grim home teaching of her father, Mahesh, a professor of mathematics at the University of Swansea in Wales. The goal: to be accepted to Oxford by age 14. Shreene, Rumi's mother, resentfully accepts the hous...more
This book was on my request list at the library, but I honestly have no idea why I originally put it there.
Regardless, it was a horrible book. Complete rubbish. There seemed to be no real plot or point, besides the main characters genius status in the area of math, and how this impacts her. Which we never really know, because all we ever read about is her studying, kissing a guy onc, then studying some more. To be fair there’s stuff about being a child of indian immigrants in Wales, but it was h...more
Regardless, it was a horrible book. Complete rubbish. There seemed to be no real plot or point, besides the main characters genius status in the area of math, and how this impacts her. Which we never really know, because all we ever read about is her studying, kissing a guy onc, then studying some more. To be fair there’s stuff about being a child of indian immigrants in Wales, but it was h...more
Gifted recently received the Desmond Elliot Prize, and the Chair of Judges said:
Gifted is a book of extraordinary range; it is touching, tender, funny and at the same time truly compelling. It covers the issues of duty and family loyalty, and the demands of an extraordinary talent, while holding at its heart the story of a young girl struggling with the agony of first love and her own, very particular, identity. Above all, it has a wonderfully bittersweet charm and for that reason Desmond Elliot...more
Dec 13, 2008
Alea
rated it
2 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
read-for-review,
no-longer-own
The story of young Rumi Vasi, math genius, and her family explores many themes including adolescence, the nature of genius, and an Indian family living in England. At a young age it is discovered the Rumi is gifted in mathematics and her father takes it upon himself to nurture those skills and help her get into Oxford at the age of 15.
Immediately the book “The Namesake” by Jhumpa Lahiri and the movie, “Bend it Like Beckham” written and directed by Gurinder Chadha came to mind, both sharing some...more
Immediately the book “The Namesake” by Jhumpa Lahiri and the movie, “Bend it Like Beckham” written and directed by Gurinder Chadha came to mind, both sharing some...more
Though young Rumi Vasi might be a Gifted mathematical genius in every other way she is a normal pre-teen (later teenage) girl, in this first novel by Nikita Lalwani~or at least she longs to be (i've often found this to be true of highly gifted people~either they are longing for normalcy or they are lacking in emotional maturity for lack of it~note i did NOT say ALL gifted people.) Rumi is the first-born child of Indian immigrants in Cardiff, Wales. When she is five she is identified by her teach...more
Mar 28, 2008
Bookchica
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Teens, Young Adults, anyone interested in Ethnic literature
Gifted, Nikita Lalwani's debut novel is an effortless read. Nikita balances the strong immigrant theme and that of a child's angst (at a time when the child is too young to even understand such emotions) very naturally.
Rumi is 5 when she is identified as a gifted mathematician. A label that takes over her life, her thoughts and her family. Mahesh, Rumi's father, channels all his immigrant insecurities into making sure that Rumi is his proof to his adoptive country. The proof that his rigid belie...more
Rumi is 5 when she is identified as a gifted mathematician. A label that takes over her life, her thoughts and her family. Mahesh, Rumi's father, channels all his immigrant insecurities into making sure that Rumi is his proof to his adoptive country. The proof that his rigid belie...more
With quite an uninspiring title and zero buzz around it, it wasn't likely that I'd have picked this book up anytime soon. But given that it's in this year's Booker long list (whatever that's worth), and considering my growing fondness for Indian literature, I gave it a shot in the dark.
Having read it, I'll say the book scores heavily on originality. But more importantly, it possesses a rare emotional power that makes it both a heartbreaking and deeply affective read on several counts. Also, it'...more
Rumi was 5 when her kindergarten teacher walked her home to tell her parents she had a gift for math.
At age 10, she sees a news report about an 8 year old who's just done their math O-level. She could do that. She wants to do that. In fact, she's a little ticked that the 8 year old beat her to it.
Her father grabs a hold of this dream and subjects Rumi to a rigorous study schedule. All math, all the time. Nights? Weekends? Math.
Their goal, their dream, is to attend Oxford by age 15. Mahesh wants...more
At age 10, she sees a news report about an 8 year old who's just done their math O-level. She could do that. She wants to do that. In fact, she's a little ticked that the 8 year old beat her to it.
Her father grabs a hold of this dream and subjects Rumi to a rigorous study schedule. All math, all the time. Nights? Weekends? Math.
Their goal, their dream, is to attend Oxford by age 15. Mahesh wants...more
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NIKITA LALWANI was born in Rajasthan and raised in Cardiff. Her first novel, Gifted, was longlisted for the Man Booker Prize, shortlisted for the Costa First Novel Award and won the Desmond Elliot Prize for New Fiction. Nikita was also shortlisted for the 2008 Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year. She lives in London.
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Apr 14, 2012 11:51pm