Description
Can one girl make a difference in the destiny of a nation? It is 1942 and 10-year-old Anjali’s mother has joined India’s freedom struggle. Anjali gets unwillingly involved in the turmoil. She has to give up her biases against the Dalit community, or the so-called untouchables, and sacrifice her foreign-made clothes for khadi. When her world turns upside down, will Anjali be able to overcome her internal struggles and summon the courage needed to complete her mother’s social reform work? Inspired by her great-grandmother’s experience working with Gandhi, Supriya Kelkar brings to life the stories of the unsung heroes of India’s War of Independence.
Book Details
- Publisher : Scholastic India (5 August 2018)
- Language: : English
- Hardcover : 308 pages
- ISBN : 9789352755615
- Reading age : 10 - 15 years
- Item Weight : 349 g
- Dimensions : 20.3 x 25.4 x 4.7 cm
- Country of Origin : India
- Generic Name : Book
Reviews
"A simple and yet compelling story about love and tolerance. Read out Ahimsa to your children. It's an important lesson delivered through a delightful story. " - Vidhu Vinod Chopra (Director - 1942: A love Story and Eklavya: The Royal Guard)
"A poignant look at India's Independence through the eyes of a ten-year-old, Ahimsa is a well crafted tale of resistance. " - Rajkumar Hirani (Director - 3 Idiots, PK and Lage Raho Munna Bhai).
"A historical, timely, and informative story that is full of heart and belongs in most library collections." -School Library Journal, starred review
"Kelkar's first middle-grade book is filled with female empowerment, hope, family, and the power of nonviolent resistance. Drawing from her own family history, Kelkar doesn't shy from the reality that progress is slow and that one must persist even when all hope seems gone. Readers will empathize with this heartbreakingly charming debut about the universal struggle of overcoming fears and biases in order to make the world a better place." - Booklist, starred review
"This 2015 New Visions Award winner offers a complex narrative and inspires readers to check their privilege to address ongoing injustices." - Kirkus Reviews
"This is a story that is both enjoyable and hard to put down. Fluid writing and delightful, realistic point of view make Ahimsa an enjoyable period piece for young adults." - Foreword Reviews
Book Author
Supriya is an author, illustrator, and screenwriter who grew up in the Midwest, where she learned Hindi as a child by watching three Hindi movies a week. Winner of the New VIsion Award for her middle grade novel AHIMSA, (Tu Books, 2017), Supriya has worked on the writing teams for several Hindi films, including Lage Raho Munna Bhai and Eklavya: The Royal Guard, India’s entry into the 2007 Academy Awards. Supriya’s books include AHIMSA, THE MANY COLORS OF HARPREET SINGH (Sterling, 2019, illlustrated by Alea Marley), AMERICAN AS PANEER PIE, a School Library Journal Best Book of 2020, (Aladdin/Simon & Schuster, 2020) STRONG AS FIRE, FIERCE AS FLAME (Tu Books, 2020), BINDU’S BINDIS (Sterling, 2021, illustrated by Parvati Pillai), and THAT THING ABOUT BOLLYWOOD (Simon and Schuster BFYR, 2021). Supriya is represented by Kathleen Rushall at the Andrea Brown Literary Agency, and Kim Yau at Echo Lake Entertainment for film/TV rights.