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Girls of Many Lands
Victory Song
As her old sister is about to marry, 12-year-old Neela Sen knows her parents will soon arrange a betrothal for her. But when her father goes to Calcutta to secretly investigate India's growing independence movement and doesn't return, Neela realizes she must do the unexpected--take matters into her own hands. Illustrations.
Paperback
First published September 1, 2002
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1067 people want to read
About the author
Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
63 books7,125 followersChitra Banerjee Divakaruni is an award-winning author and poet. Her themes include the Indian experience, contemporary America, women, immigration, history, myth, and the joys and challenges of living in a multicultural world. Her work is widely known, as she has been published in over 50 magazines, including the Atlantic Monthly and The New Yorker, and her writing has been included in over 50 anthologies. Her works have been translated into 29 languages, including Dutch, Hebrew, Hindi and Japanese. Divakaruni also writes for children and young adults.Her novels One Amazing Thing, Oleander Girl, Sister of My Heart and Palace of Illusions are currently in the process of being made into movies. http://www.chitradivakaruni.com/books.... Her newest novel is Before We Visit the Goddess (about 3 generations of women-- grandmother, mother and daughter-- who each examine the question "what does it mean to be a successful woman.") Simon & Schuster.
She was born in India and lived there until 1976, at which point she left Calcutta and came to the United States. She continued her education in the field of English by receiving a Master’s degree from Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio, and a Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley.
To earn money for her education, she held many odd jobs, including babysitting, selling merchandise in an Indian boutique, slicing bread in a bakery, and washing instruments in a science lab. At Berkeley, she lived in the International House and worked in the dining hall. She briefly lived in Illinois and Ohio, but has spent much of her life in Northern California, which she often writes about. She now lives in Texas, which has found its way into her upcoming book, Before We Visit the Goddess.
Chitra currently teaches in the nationally ranked Creative Writing program at the Univ. of Houston. She serves on the Advisory board of Maitri in the San Francisco Bay Area and Daya in Houston. Both these are organizations that help South Asian or South Asian American women who find themselves in abusive or domestic violence situations. She is also closely involved with Pratham, an organization that helps educate children (especially those living in urban slums) in India.
She has judged several prestigious awards, such as the National Book Award and the PEN Faulkner Award.
Two of her books, The Mistress of Spices and Sister of My Heart, have been made into movies by filmmakers Gurinder Chadha and Paul Berges (an English film) and Suhasini Mani Ratnam (a Tamil TV serial) respectively. Her novels One Amazing Thing and Palace of Illusions have currently been optioned for movies. Her book Arranged Marriage has been made into a play and performed in the U.S. and (upcoming, May) in Canada. River of Light, an opera about an Indian woman in a bi-cultural marriage, for which she wrote the libretto, has been performed in Texas and California.
She lives in Houston with her husband Murthy. She has two sons, Anand and Abhay (whose names she has used in her children’s novels).
Chitra loves to connect with readers on her Facebook author page, www.facebook.com/chitradivakaruni, and on Twitter, @cdivakaruni.
For more information about her books, please visit http://www.chitradivakaruni.com/, where you can also sign up for her newsletter.
She was born in India and lived there until 1976, at which point she left Calcutta and came to the United States. She continued her education in the field of English by receiving a Master’s degree from Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio, and a Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley.
To earn money for her education, she held many odd jobs, including babysitting, selling merchandise in an Indian boutique, slicing bread in a bakery, and washing instruments in a science lab. At Berkeley, she lived in the International House and worked in the dining hall. She briefly lived in Illinois and Ohio, but has spent much of her life in Northern California, which she often writes about. She now lives in Texas, which has found its way into her upcoming book, Before We Visit the Goddess.
Chitra currently teaches in the nationally ranked Creative Writing program at the Univ. of Houston. She serves on the Advisory board of Maitri in the San Francisco Bay Area and Daya in Houston. Both these are organizations that help South Asian or South Asian American women who find themselves in abusive or domestic violence situations. She is also closely involved with Pratham, an organization that helps educate children (especially those living in urban slums) in India.
She has judged several prestigious awards, such as the National Book Award and the PEN Faulkner Award.
Two of her books, The Mistress of Spices and Sister of My Heart, have been made into movies by filmmakers Gurinder Chadha and Paul Berges (an English film) and Suhasini Mani Ratnam (a Tamil TV serial) respectively. Her novels One Amazing Thing and Palace of Illusions have currently been optioned for movies. Her book Arranged Marriage has been made into a play and performed in the U.S. and (upcoming, May) in Canada. River of Light, an opera about an Indian woman in a bi-cultural marriage, for which she wrote the libretto, has been performed in Texas and California.
She lives in Houston with her husband Murthy. She has two sons, Anand and Abhay (whose names she has used in her children’s novels).
Chitra loves to connect with readers on her Facebook author page, www.facebook.com/chitradivakaruni, and on Twitter, @cdivakaruni.
For more information about her books, please visit http://www.chitradivakaruni.com/, where you can also sign up for her newsletter.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 77 reviews
August 4, 2015
I read this in the fourth grade while my mom was in a meeting. I read it cover to cover that day. This series is vastly different from American Girl. First of all, only one of the girls featured is American and this series deals with grittier subject matter. Instead of Molly having a victory garden and talking a little about a war, some of the girls in the Girls of Many Lands series are involved in a war happening in their own country or neighborhood.
I was impressed by the way there seemed to be no holding back with this series, where the American Girl series sets limits to not upset parents with their child's reading material. I own one doll of the eight that go with the books and it is Neela. Would I rather it be Kathleen, the first girl I had an adventure with? No. Neela is strong and can kick ass at a young age. If you want your kids to learn more from their books, have them read this series or Dear America, Horrible Histories, Royal Diaries. Teach your children that doing the right thing is the way to go.
All of the mentioned titles can be found easily on Ebay, Amazon, or a used book store such as Half Price Books.
I was impressed by the way there seemed to be no holding back with this series, where the American Girl series sets limits to not upset parents with their child's reading material. I own one doll of the eight that go with the books and it is Neela. Would I rather it be Kathleen, the first girl I had an adventure with? No. Neela is strong and can kick ass at a young age. If you want your kids to learn more from their books, have them read this series or Dear America, Horrible Histories, Royal Diaries. Teach your children that doing the right thing is the way to go.
All of the mentioned titles can be found easily on Ebay, Amazon, or a used book store such as Half Price Books.
August 13, 2016
It is completely bizarre that this book is part of the American Girl merchandise empire. The content is so far beyond their cutesy "history". Not that I haven't bought a ton of their books for my nieces when they were younger, as well as a doll or two etc. HOWEVER. Their stories are generally speaking easements of real history. This novel, by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, is much less so. It's still aimed at the 12 to 14 year old audience, but it carries a lot of freight.
The setting is near Calcutta (Kolkata, now) in 1939, as India's independence struggle heats up and WWII is starting in Europe. In a small village, a relatively successful farmer's daughter's wedding is interrupted by nationalist bandits who "ask" for donations. The younger daughter of the family, Neela from the title, is moved by their romantic self-sacrifice and donates a gold chain her mother has just given her, not knowing it represents a big part of her future dowry. She's marrying the freedom struggle, get it?! Anyway, the next day her father tells Neela that he is going to Calcutta to participate in what is supposed to be a peaceful protest led by Gandhiji. But he doesn't come back. Eventually, Neela disguises herself and sets off to try and find him, while her mother struggles alone with their unplanted rice paddies. What happens on her journey? Read to find out. The "Victory Song" in question is a Bengali song called "Vande Mataram" which is something like "Hail Motherland", describing India's beauties.
This novel bears comparison to Kashmira Sheth's brilliant and moving Keeping Corner, though that story, set earlier in the 1920s and centering on a very young widow's restricted life is deeper and more complex. But both books deal with aspects of India's nationalist struggle that are not as well known in the West, and both books explore India's expectations around gender, whether arranged marriage or the treatment of widows. Highly recommended, this book.
The setting is near Calcutta (Kolkata, now) in 1939, as India's independence struggle heats up and WWII is starting in Europe. In a small village, a relatively successful farmer's daughter's wedding is interrupted by nationalist bandits who "ask" for donations. The younger daughter of the family, Neela from the title, is moved by their romantic self-sacrifice and donates a gold chain her mother has just given her, not knowing it represents a big part of her future dowry. She's marrying the freedom struggle, get it?! Anyway, the next day her father tells Neela that he is going to Calcutta to participate in what is supposed to be a peaceful protest led by Gandhiji. But he doesn't come back. Eventually, Neela disguises herself and sets off to try and find him, while her mother struggles alone with their unplanted rice paddies. What happens on her journey? Read to find out. The "Victory Song" in question is a Bengali song called "Vande Mataram" which is something like "Hail Motherland", describing India's beauties.
This novel bears comparison to Kashmira Sheth's brilliant and moving Keeping Corner, though that story, set earlier in the 1920s and centering on a very young widow's restricted life is deeper and more complex. But both books deal with aspects of India's nationalist struggle that are not as well known in the West, and both books explore India's expectations around gender, whether arranged marriage or the treatment of widows. Highly recommended, this book.
July 22, 2008
Neela finds herself caught between the village traditions of India and her sympathy with the freedom fighters who seek to free India from British rule in 1939. When her father disappears she risks her life and reputation to try to find him.
Beautiful descriptions of traditional Indian wedding. I felt the subplot about the potential marriage her mother has arranged for 12 year old Neela was left unresolved. I'd like to know what happened later!
Beautiful descriptions of traditional Indian wedding. I felt the subplot about the potential marriage her mother has arranged for 12 year old Neela was left unresolved. I'd like to know what happened later!
July 14, 2015
I like that at the beginning Neela's sister is getting married. I like how Neela saves her father from being killed, and how a girl that helped Neela wanted to help get her father back. I like how Neela painted her fathers face with makeup, and made his face look like he had chicken pox. I didn't like that Neela's father was sent to jail.
January 3, 2015
The first thing I liked about this book was that it was relatively thin. "Ah, a book I can finish in a couple of sittings," I thought to myself, when I picked this book. A light read, Neela Victory Song is a refreshing tale of a young girl from the 40's when the Indian Independence movement was gaining momentum. Written from the perspective of a young teenager, this book whisks you away into the rustic world when things were a lot simpler. (And Goodreads did not exist! :)
I wouldn't say that the book tug at my heartstrings. It was not a life-defining, earthshaking, story. It's a story that your grandmother would tell you at bedtime. And you'd conveniently forget it by the next morning. Yet, the book has its charms. If you are in-between chores, you could read this book for a mild distraction. That's all.
I wouldn't say that the book tug at my heartstrings. It was not a life-defining, earthshaking, story. It's a story that your grandmother would tell you at bedtime. And you'd conveniently forget it by the next morning. Yet, the book has its charms. If you are in-between chores, you could read this book for a mild distraction. That's all.
February 26, 2016
This is a really interesting book. I was already familiar with the move towards independence, typified by Gandhi who stressed non-violent protests. This novel puts the entire movement in perspective by focusing on the events surrounding a typical young Indian village girl.
There are some very good additional pages added about the actual history of that time in India, along with a very useful glossary of various Indian terms.
Gandhi's non-violent approach influenced Martin Luther King in his struggle to get Blacks equal rights in the U.S. Both men, of course, ended up being murdered.
>This book is at the same time enjoyable reading and highly educational. Definitely worth taking the time to read.
There are some very good additional pages added about the actual history of that time in India, along with a very useful glossary of various Indian terms.
Gandhi's non-violent approach influenced Martin Luther King in his struggle to get Blacks equal rights in the U.S. Both men, of course, ended up being murdered.
>This book is at the same time enjoyable reading and highly educational. Definitely worth taking the time to read.
April 20, 2018
This was another intriguing book from the Girls of Many Lands series. This one was set in India in 1939. It contained many interesting facts about the cultural life of a family in a small village who farmed for a good living. Set during the time when India was seeking its independence from Britain, 12 year old Neela travels to Calcutta when her father does not return from a trip to check out the current political climate. A glossary of Bengali words was included at the end of the book.
This is a wonderful multicultural series that I purchased to use in my 5th grade classroom library. I would highly recommend this book for girls ages 10-12. It was also interesting to me as an adult.
This is a wonderful multicultural series that I purchased to use in my 5th grade classroom library. I would highly recommend this book for girls ages 10-12. It was also interesting to me as an adult.
May 6, 2014
I thought that this was a great book. This was my historical fiction project book, and it took me some time to find a book that interested me. I liked the book because I could connect with the events in the book; revolving around the Indian freedom struggle. I liked how the author had sensory details that captured the culture and mood of the time. I also liked that the author did not show the controversial events (such as early marriage) negatively. Overall, I think this is a great and realistic novel for anyone who wants to read a good historical fiction book.
June 9, 2012
Though most of the adventure is fueled by amazing luck, it's a great story to introduce young readers to India's fight for independence. I also can't help but notice that almost all the books in this series have a very defining moment where the main character goes "Oh! Look at me! I look so much older in these clothes! Am I really that pretty?" Gets a bit cliché, but I suppose most young girls have that moment.
February 7, 2010
I read all of the books in Girls of Many Lands series when they came out about eight years ago. Neela's story is just as thrilling and pretty as I remember. A quick and exciting story, with several interesting characters. Neela and Samar are characters I would like to meet in real life. The Indian independence movement see through the eyes of a thoughtful and brave young girl.
April 2, 2016
This is a good book to show middle schoolers the culture of India, what India was like during the latter days of British rule, and the differing factions who desired independence. It is an easy read and highly informative. Parents should note that there is much mention of Hindu practices and gods and goddesses of that religion.
February 2, 2011
Neela questions the traditional practice of arranged marriage as her older sister marries. Before long, Neela is questioning much more about the role of women and Indian freedom from British rule as her father goes off to Calcutta to participate in a freedom march.
July 19, 2021
The other books in this series are narrated in first person but this one was third person, and that made it feel disconnected from Neela at times.
October 11, 2020
I really enjoyed Neela's story! I enjoyed learning about Indian culture as well as about India's struggle for independence from Britain. it was interesting that the nonviolent pretest methods used in India helped influence the Civil Rights movement in the United States
November 11, 2021
Did not realize this was by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni! Author of Before We Visit the Goddess! (an amazing book)
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And I also didn't know American Girl made dolls for these characters. If I had known during middle school I probably would have tried to get all of them, lol.
<333
And I also didn't know American Girl made dolls for these characters. If I had known during middle school I probably would have tried to get all of them, lol.
May 22, 2025
Clearing out the physical TBR with another historical girl. Neela's story is set during India's struggle for independence during the 1930s. I appreciate learning more about it!
August 22, 2018
This book takes place during a time period with which I am very familiar (WWII), but in a place (India) and cataloging a series of events (the quest for independence from Britain) about which I knew very little. It was interesting to learn more about these things.
The story was told through the eyes of a young girl. I did feel a bit disgruntled about the tone and perspective, because it is yet another modern book for girls that centers on ideas and questions like: "Why did I have to be born a girl?" "Why can't I do what boys can do?" "I'm going to disguise myself as a boy so I can do something important." It had a feminist bent, and I just wonder, after reading many such books, why no heroine is ever portrayed (in modern books) as actually LIKING her tasks (sewing, embroidery, etc) and doing important things within the scope of her circle of influence rather than vying for tasks that boys were doing. I get that there were many who chafed at their cultural status, but I am certain that there were also many that didn't. I also get that there has been an age-old mistreatment of girls and women, but that's not what I'm seeking to address here. What I would like to see is a rise in heroines that flourish in their own setting without resorting to deceit to accomplish something they were forbidden to do. There are plenty of strong females, both in history and yet to be imagined for storylines, that can be looked up to for their wisdom, clear thinking, courage, intelligence, talent, skill, etc, without pining to be a man. I feel like the feminists do themselves and all women a great disservice by desiring manhood in the guise of protecting female rights.
Not that it was terribly blatant in this book. I'm just tired of this theme in books for girls. Can't we give our girls heroines who are glad to be female and make the most of their gifts and talents? This particular heroine WAS praised for her courage and intelligence, so that was refreshing.
Anyway, this book did include swearing and racial slurs. Certainly it is intended for older readers than most American Girl books.
The story was told through the eyes of a young girl. I did feel a bit disgruntled about the tone and perspective, because it is yet another modern book for girls that centers on ideas and questions like: "Why did I have to be born a girl?" "Why can't I do what boys can do?" "I'm going to disguise myself as a boy so I can do something important." It had a feminist bent, and I just wonder, after reading many such books, why no heroine is ever portrayed (in modern books) as actually LIKING her tasks (sewing, embroidery, etc) and doing important things within the scope of her circle of influence rather than vying for tasks that boys were doing. I get that there were many who chafed at their cultural status, but I am certain that there were also many that didn't. I also get that there has been an age-old mistreatment of girls and women, but that's not what I'm seeking to address here. What I would like to see is a rise in heroines that flourish in their own setting without resorting to deceit to accomplish something they were forbidden to do. There are plenty of strong females, both in history and yet to be imagined for storylines, that can be looked up to for their wisdom, clear thinking, courage, intelligence, talent, skill, etc, without pining to be a man. I feel like the feminists do themselves and all women a great disservice by desiring manhood in the guise of protecting female rights.
Not that it was terribly blatant in this book. I'm just tired of this theme in books for girls. Can't we give our girls heroines who are glad to be female and make the most of their gifts and talents? This particular heroine WAS praised for her courage and intelligence, so that was refreshing.
Anyway, this book did include swearing and racial slurs. Certainly it is intended for older readers than most American Girl books.
October 23, 2023
Let me begin this review by acknowledging that this book was not really written with me as their "target audience", BUT I wanted these dolls and books as a child. My mom said I just spent way too much money on an American Girl doll, you don't these new dolls besides. So when I found a few of these books in a free little library close to my house, the inner child in me insisted that I read them. So here I am, a 34-year old reading books designed for preteens. I HAVE NO SHAME!
Anyway, onto the actual review. This book was very interesting and admittedly looked at a period of history that I knew very little about beyond "Gandhi's influence helped end the British rule in India". The culture and history was fascinating to read about it. However, I did feel like this book flew by a bit too quickly. I would have loved for this to be a bit longer to go into the history more in depth. Again, I acknowledge this book was meant for much younger people, so I can see the reasoning behind keeping it a bit lighter. There was also a good amount of adventure and it showed how different life can be based on the different social classes in India at the time. Plus, the heroine was plucky and resourceful even if having a Chekov's makeup kit was perhaps a bit on the obvious side.
Overall, not the best read for a fully grown adult but still enjoyable and probably a great option for actual kids.
Anyway, onto the actual review. This book was very interesting and admittedly looked at a period of history that I knew very little about beyond "Gandhi's influence helped end the British rule in India". The culture and history was fascinating to read about it. However, I did feel like this book flew by a bit too quickly. I would have loved for this to be a bit longer to go into the history more in depth. Again, I acknowledge this book was meant for much younger people, so I can see the reasoning behind keeping it a bit lighter. There was also a good amount of adventure and it showed how different life can be based on the different social classes in India at the time. Plus, the heroine was plucky and resourceful even if having a Chekov's makeup kit was perhaps a bit on the obvious side.
Overall, not the best read for a fully grown adult but still enjoyable and probably a great option for actual kids.
April 10, 2016
The copy I have wasn't published as part of the Series GoodReads mentions. I just read it to understand what Indian fiction is available for young people these days.
It is lovely. Urban school children in India have been ready for books like this one for many many years now, since my own childhood in fact. Books that are well written, carry historical context, and allow imagination. Fearless, respectful Leela could be our own Nancy Drew - inspiring action in little girls and normalizing it for little boys. I particularly like how complicated ideological arguments are introduced in Leela's adventure - just a spark, she trusts the reader to catch fire. There is no Moral.
As a fairly, particular aunt, I would happily gift copies of this book to my nieces and nephews. I'm keeping my own :)
It is lovely. Urban school children in India have been ready for books like this one for many many years now, since my own childhood in fact. Books that are well written, carry historical context, and allow imagination. Fearless, respectful Leela could be our own Nancy Drew - inspiring action in little girls and normalizing it for little boys. I particularly like how complicated ideological arguments are introduced in Leela's adventure - just a spark, she trusts the reader to catch fire. There is no Moral.
As a fairly, particular aunt, I would happily gift copies of this book to my nieces and nephews. I'm keeping my own :)
December 16, 2014
I really enjoyed this and would like to read more of the "Girls of Many Lands" series. I found I was very ignorant of India's history - I should probably be embarrassed to admit I didn't realize it was ever under British rule. I learned a lot about India's fight for freedom and felt the history was presented rather objectively. Neela is a very strong female character.
June 8, 2013
though the book is supposed to be for kids, 8+, I liked reading it, hadnt had the privilege of reading it at the apt age. The story is linked to Indian freedom struggle and is through the eyes of Neela, a young girl.
August 15, 2021
I've enjoyed reading books in the Girls of Many Lands series. This one just didn't capture my interest as much. I think it was due to the fact that there were so many almost serendipitous events that made things fall into place again and again just too easily, given the circumstances.
September 19, 2007
pretty good book.
November 1, 2008
I liked it, it was pretty good.
November 6, 2008
its about a girl that lives when india is fighting for independence against the british but her and her family run into some problems so she goes on an adventure to solve them...hurry up and read it!
March 24, 2008
Divakurni portrays a pre-independence India in an accessible way to her audience.
April 13, 2008
Pretty good...except for the name!
June 8, 2008
I learned that Neela is a twelve year old girl. Who has a
lot of spunk and bravery.. Well in my opinon she has got
alot of it.........
lot of spunk and bravery.. Well in my opinon she has got
alot of it.........
August 9, 2009
I DONT REMEMBER MUCH BUT I DO REMEMBER IT WAS REALLY FUN TO READ AND ADVENTUROUS.
February 25, 2010
Violet's reading page: http://happyheartsmom.typepad.com/swe...
Displaying 1 - 30 of 77 reviews