Win a FREE copy of the book, The Grand Plan to Fix Everything! Details at the end of the review.
This month, we venture into the world of children’s literature with Uma Krishnaswami’s new book, The Grand Plan to Fix Everything. I find it interesting, that current global issues of bridging cultural gaps, and addressing the flow of cultural development are being addressed by children’s literature rather than by the expected novels for adults…in this sense, it seems children’s books, such as The Grand Plan to Fix Everything, hold more relevance and transcultural thinking for today’s world than what is being produced in the world of adult literature. I guess, if we want to improve our future, we must look to our kids, right?
Review
The premise of Uma Krishnaswami’s new book, The Grand Plan to Fix Everything is a refreshing change from the story of the immigrant who gives up everything to move to America. Instead, Uma looks a step beyond the tale of our parents to the children of immigrants, catering to their view of the world and in a clever twist, sharing the experience of what it might be like for a second generation Indian American child to be forced to live back in India.
Eleven year old Dini loves movies- watching them, reading about them, trying to write her own- especially Bollywood movies. But when her mother tells her some big news, it does not at all jive with the script of her life she has in mind. Her family is moving to a tiny village in India, far from her best friend Maddie and the grand plans they’ve made for the summer.
So now, Dini is hard at work on a new script, the script in which she gets to meet the amazing Dolly Singh, Dini’s all-time favorite Bollywood star…
While Uma does a wonderful job of introducing bits of Indian culture to her reader in a way that is natural and undaunting, the flow of the writing is at times a bit disjointed – I found myself having to reread sentences in order for it to make sense. This may occur because of the author’s intention to blur the lines between Indian and American culture for the reader. Other than the occasional moment of rereading here and there, Uma does a nice job making it work. Uma develops her characters and the story in a fashion that makes it easy for readers to cross international boundaries and gain touch with the universal experience of being human by guiding us through the eyes of Dini, a child with big dreams and a big heart. For myself, this is most apparent in Dini’s reflections about her interaction with her parents- something both children and adults can certainly relate to. These moments make the reader feel immediately connected to this lovely and adventurous little girl. This is truly a charming story that kids of any culture can read, connect with and enjoy.
Click on this link to hear Uma read an excerpt from her book:
Grand Plan, chapter1
5 Questions, with Uma Krishnaswami
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1. What inspired the creation of the character Dini?
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Sounds dry, but she emerged from an article I read about Indian-American families moving back to India. She really began to grow into herself when her Bollywood interest and her best friend Maddie fell into place. Characters need dreams in order to come alive. It wasn’t until Dini acquired her dreams that I began to feel how I needed to write her.
2. What do you hope this book offers young readers?
The sense that optimism can prevail, and that coolness doesn’t have a single cultural source. That you can have funny books grounded in culture and geography.
3. Do you watch Bollywood films? If so, which is your favorite movie and who is your favorite actress?
I can’t say I watch a whole lot of Bollywood films–I did watch several generations of films while I was working on Dolly’s character–everything from Guide and the old Raj Kapur movies to the post-Lagaan era. Favorite stars? Well, someone asked me if Dolly’s based on any real stars, and I’d have to say she’s Shabana Azmi meets Gracy Singh!
4. As someone who is connected to two cultures, how do you define who you are?
I’m an expat Indian living in America–my work is in the crossing and merging and blurring of borders. Home is a moving target and flux is the norm. It used to bother me that I didn’t have a fixed identity tied to a single place, but now I think it makes for an interesting view of the world.
5. What was your favorite book as a child? What is your favorite children’s book now?
I’d have to say my childhood favorite was probably the original Winnie-the-Pooh, the one with Ernest Shepard illustrations. I had other books I loved (lots of Enid Blyton books, and an illustrated version of The Little Mermaid) but Winnie-the-Pooh endured. I love it still. And now? Only one? That’s really hard. Can I sneak in two? I’d like to say it’s a toss-up between Charlotte’s Web by E.B.White and Haroun and the Sea of Stories by Salman Rushdie. Both brilliant for very different reasons.
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Grand Giveaway!!!
An additional 3 runners-up will receive a copy of THE GRAND PLAN TO FIX EVERYTHING. To enter, send an e-mail to GrandPlanGiveaway@gmail.com. In the body of the e-mail, include your name, mailing address, and e-mail address (if you’re under 13, submit a parent’s name and e-mail address). One entry per person and prizes will only be shipped to US or Canadian addresses. Entries must be received by midnight (PDT) on 6/30/11. Winners will be selected in a random drawing on 7/1/11 and notified via email.More info:
