Ahimsa

Written by Supriya Kelkar

Narrated by Zehra Jane Naqvi

In 1942, when Mahatma Gandhi asks Indians to give one family member to the freedom movement, ten-year-old Anjali is devastated to think of her father risking his life for the freedom struggle.

But it turns out he isn't the one joining. Anjali's mother is. And with this change comes many more adjustments designed to improve their country and use "ahimsa"-non-violent resistance-to stand up to the British government. First the family must trade in their fine foreign-made clothes for homespun cotton, so Anjali has to give up her prettiest belongings. Then her mother decides to reach out to the Dalit community, the "untouchables" of society. Anjali is forced to get over her past prejudices as her family becomes increasingly involved in the movement.

When Anjali's mother is jailed, Anjali must step out of her comfort zone to take over her mother's work, ensuring that her little part of the independence movement is completed.

Inspired by her great-grandmother's experience working with Gandhi, New Visions Award winner Supriya Kelkar shines a light on the Indian freedom movement in this poignant debut.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tantor Media, Inc
• Release date: Nov 26, 2019
• ISBN: 9781541435582

Supriya Kelkar

Born and raised in the Midwest, Supriya Kelkar learned Hindi as a child by watching three Hindi movies a week. She is a screenwriter who has worked on the writing teams for several Hindi films and one Hollywood feature. Supriya’s books include Ahimsa, The Many Colors of Harpreet Singh, American as Paneer Pie, and That Thing about Bollywood, among others. Visit her online at SupriyaKelkar.com.

Reviews for Ahimsa

[vaterolsen · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Young Anjali is growing up and has many questions, especially since the politics are changing in India. Gandhi is leading the people to peace, but it may come at a high cost, even death. Is Anjali willing to participate in the struggle? Does she want her mother or father to become involved? How will Anjali's shifting beliefs lead her? Even friendship is difficult with caste and religious differences.I worked to completely read this book, but ultimately did not. I'm not sure if the characters weren't compelling enough, or that I've read enough of the history of India at this time to dull the plot or that I'm just not in the right mood for this book right now. Regardless, I would encourage readers with an interest to try this book for themselves.

[shootingstar2428 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Fresh protagonist and perspective, but too young for my high-schoolers.

[ewyatt_16 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Anjali is taken by surprise when her mom quits her job working for the British governor and decides to join the Freedom Fighters in India. The year is 1942 and there is a lot of upheaval. Gandhi has been arrested and is on a hunger strike. There's rioting and fighting between Muslims and Hindus, there is a push to uphold tradition and breakdown barriers between the castes, and there is pressure to free India from British control. Anjali has a lot of fight for her and wants things to change. While at first she doesn't appreciate burning her beautiful saris, over the course of the book she embraces the fight for freedom and equality even as it costs her and her family much. But she begins to see the priviledge she has had and builds awareness of the realities of others, particularly through her relationship with Mohan, a Dalit.

[lauraenos · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is a great book that I feel would really open my students' eyes to different cultures and societies other than their own. I certainly learned quite a bit more about the different caste levels/system in India from reading this book, and I assumed I already knew a significant amount, but soon realizes I had a lot to learn as well. The main character/narrator is someone whom you can connect to and root for and it's a great book for discussion with youth about themes such as: status, equality, religion, government, etc. I thoroughly enjoyed this read and plan to promote it for choice reading among my students.

[ariadne02 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

It’s impressive how much cultural and historical detail Supriya Kelkar has worked into her debut novel without sacrificing pacing. Ahimsa moves along quickly, its title referring to the principle of non-violent resistance promoted by Gandhi during India’s struggle for independence from Britain. In 1942, Shailaja Joshi, a young wife and mother, heeds Gandhi’s request that a member of each Indian family should take part in their country’s freedom movement. She has the support of her husband, and quits her job working for a British officer, although the elderly uncle who lives with the family feels her efforts will ultimately be futile. However, the action is seen not from Shailaja’s viewpoint but that of her ten-year-old daughter, Anjali. While Ahimsa is geared toward middle-grade readers, it can be appreciated by older readers as well, adults included. I didn’t feel like any of the language or concepts were oversimplified. The novel covers a dramatic and traumatic time in India’s history, with tensions rising between India and Britain, between Hindus and Muslims, within India’s rigid caste system, and between the courageous people who seek change and those who resist it just as strongly. It’s remarkable how well these serious conflicts are articulated within a book for young readers. The story follows Anjali as she adjusts her perceptions while her world and family transform in front of her. She doesn’t understand when her mother burns their gorgeously colored, British-made saris, instead making them wear plainer, homespun cotton khadis because they’re locally woven. Through her mother, Anjali also has her eyes opened to the living situation of her family’s toilet-cleaner, Mohan, a boy who was forced into that role simply for being born into the lowest caste. Both Anjali and Shailaja make mistakes in their approach to change. In keeping with reality, Kelkar doesn’t present the adults as having all the answers. This new era in India is a learning experience for the entire family, and there are universal lessons worth absorbing, too, like the need to respect and use the name that a group prefers to call themselves (for example: Dalits for Mohan’s caste, rather than the insulting term Untouchables or Gandhi’s term for them, Harijan). Anjali’s best friend is a Muslim boy, Irfaan, and the plot also demonstrates how their close relationship is affected when Hindu-Muslim riots break out in their town.The two-page glossary at the end could easily have been expanded, but overall this is an engaging novel based on the experiences of the author’s great-grandmother (Shailaja in the story). For historical fiction readers and librarians interested in experiencing India's history through young eyes, or adding an #ownvoices story to their collection, Ahimsa would be a good choice.

[s_webb · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Fresh protagonist and perspective, but too young for my high-schoolers.

[meggyweg · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

(I got this book free from LibraryThing’s Early Reviewers.)I thought this was a well-paced and well-written story, an excellent and age-appropriate introduction for the middle grades to this period in Indian history. The protagonist’s gradual transition to a leader and activist was very well-done. I know children of color are under-represented in children’s and young adult literature, and I think this book would be especially good for someone of Indian heritage.

[nittnut · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Ahimsa is about life in British occupied India just before partition, and based on events in the life of the author's great-grandmother. Anjali is ten and loves pretty clothes and her family's cow, but is not so fond of school. Her mother decides to join the Freedom Fighters who are working to oust the British and bring greater equality to India. From Anjali's point of view, things are very confusing. Not all the adults in her world are in agreement, and she is trying to decide what she believes. I think this is a great book for middle readers who are interested in history.

[junipersun · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

While this could be a resource for teaching about another culture and about the struggle of people in India for independence from British rule, it is a lifeless book and gives too many new terms without definition or contextual help. Yes, there is a glossary at the end of the book, but it is incomplete (besides not being noticed when you begin the book & really need it).Anjali, 10 yr old, is an upper caste girl in a large city. Her parents are well-educated and well-to-do. We see her needing to adjust her view of her relationships with others (esp. the 'Untouchable' lowest caste) when her mother joins a group following Gandhi's lead in non-cooperation with the British and in fostering local control of cloth production. Anjali's distaste for the changes is quickly followed by enthusiastic adoption, which doesn't seem realistic. This is also a time of angry struggle between Muslim and Hindus. The scene where she saves someone from being beaten to death is also not realistic.I received a copy of this thru Early Reviewers.

[nicholsm-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I received a free advanced copy of this book from the LibraryThing Early Reviewers giveaway in exchange for an honest review. Ahimsa is a well written, powerful story about a ten-year-old girl growing up in British controlled India in 1942. The story takes place during the time when Gandhi has asked Indians to have one family member join the freedom movement, which was the non-violent resistance movement to protest British rule of India. Ten-year-old Anjali finds out that her mother is going to join the freedom movement and this means big changes in her life. Throughout the story, Anjali starts to realize it’s not just the end to British oppression of Indians that her mother is fighting for, but also the end of the Indian caste system that discriminates against the Dalit community or “untouchable” class. While most young readers may not understand the background history of the British control of India and the Indian fight for independence, there are many themes in this book that are extremely relevant to civil rights struggles going on in the world today, including here in the U.S. Throughout the book, Anjali has to question society’s treatment of people in different caste systems and the British treatment of Indians. Anjali decides to help her mother try to integrate her school so the Dalit or “untouchable” children in her neighborhood could attend. These actions mirror the civil rights movement for African Americans in the 1960s. There are also parallels that young readers could make to the Black Lives Matter and the #metoo movements. I highly recommend this book and also recommend that students who are unfamiliar with the Indian Independence movement read the author’s note in the back that explains the history first before reading Anjali’s story.

[emscape · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Ten-year-old Anjali's life changes completely when her mother joins the ranks of Freedom Fighters trying to oust the British from their rule of India. Subscribing to the philosophy of Gandhi, they practice Ahimsa, which is non-violent resistance to oppression. Anjali is resistant to this at first, particularly the hardships involved in trying to spin and weave her own clothing, but she soon grows very attached to the movement when she befriends children of the caste formerly known as Untouchables and assists in the effort to integrate them with her own society. The story is well-written and very much increased my understanding of this period of India's history. Recommended for young readers.

[bogreader · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Young Anjali is growing up and has many questions, especially since the politics are changing in India. Gandhi is leading the people to peace, but it may come at a high cost, even death. Is Anjali willing to participate in the struggle? Does she want her mother or father to become involved? How will Anjali's shifting beliefs lead her? Even friendship is difficult with caste and religious differences.I worked to completely read this book, but ultimately did not. I'm not sure if the characters weren't compelling enough, or that I've read enough of the history of India at this time to dull the plot or that I'm just not in the right mood for this book right now. Regardless, I would encourage readers with an interest to try this book for themselves.

[thedivineoomba · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This a well written book written simply about 1940's Indian History. It follows the story of Anjula, a young girl of the Brahmin Caste System whose mom decides to join the Freedom Movement, a movement wanting India to free of British Rule using nonviolent means.This is history I don't know much about, except that it was started by Gandhi, and involves salt and spinning wheels.The book is written for children, but it doesn't mince over the morality of the movement. For example, Anjula makes friends with someone in the Dalit Caste (untouchable). When he asks how is he suppose to support himself if went to school - she didn't have an answer. British rule is touched on, but is only as a small part of the story. The relationship between Muslim and Hindu Religions is interesting since Anjula's best friend is a Muslim boy.Its a good story, and by using a young girl, still learning that the world is unfair, makes the elements from black and white to more of a grayscale.

[empress8411 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Anjali lives a comfortable life as a member of the Brahman caste in 1942 India. She enjoyed the privilege of intelligent parents, private school, lovely clothes, and good food. She struggles to understand the sudden disruption to her life. When her mother quits her job working for the British and joins the Freedom for India movement, Anjali world shifts violently. The story concerns the journey of both Anjali and the people around her – including the adults. Her mother, her uncle, her classmates and neighbors. Kelkar doesn’t sugar coat the events. There is violence. There is conflict. There is pain. Not everyone is saved, not everyone survives. Change is not pleasant. It’s awkward and uncomfortable and costly. Kelkar’s characters experience this in real ways, ways that cost them more than they thought they could pay. This is a vital lesson for all of us. Kelkar’s uses real events to highlight this fact. With clear language, complex characters, fast-paced action, and real-world events, Kelkar creates a powerful novel. She transports the reader to India. The smells, the color, the culture, food, and clothes – she describes all of it with clear and clever language. I would highly recommend this book to parents who want to expose their children to powerful life lessons and other cultures. Excellent for public or home education, and entertaining enough for any child. Note: I received this book free through LibraryThing's Review Program in exchange for my fair and honest opinion