Anjali Banerjee.
Maya Running
Wendy Lamb Books/ Random House of Canada, 2005.

Rating: A*

When Maya asks the Hindu God Ganesh for a wish, she knows he is a "remover of obstacles." Like other girls her age many things bother her, all seemingly catastrophic, and Ganesh appears to be the answer to her problems.

Maya and her parents have emigrated from India to Manitoba. Although they give the impression that they have adopted the customs of Canada, her parents have remained very traditional. Maya faces a much more complex dilemma. At times, her culture is often cumbersome. For example, when a rich, seductive aroma floats from her school lunch, everyone is reminded of her differences. At other times, she is frustrated by the fact that she cannot understand the language her parents speak with other Hindus: in fact, at these times she yearns to have a stronger connection to her heritage.

She dresses in jeans and a trendy parka, but is self-conscious about the colour of her skin, the braces on her teeth, her blemishes, and her light build. Nonetheless, she fantasizes about being Jamie's girlfriend. Just as they are getting friendly, she learns that her cousin, Priyanka (Pinky) is coming to from India to go to her school.

Although this offers her an opportunity to renew her ties with distant traditions, Maya knows that Pinky is beautiful and self-assured: surely, her cousin's presence will reduce her chances of Jamie becoming her boyfriend.

Pinky attracts everyone with her Indian charm, including Jamie. Maya experiences jabs of jealousy and envy until she discovers that Pinky has transported a golden statue of Ganesh in her suitcase.

Maya becomes convinced that, in order to have it all, she just needs to ask Ganesh for the same gracefulness and assurance that Pinky demonstrates; for her cousin to be eliminated as a rival for Jamie; for her braces and blemishes to disappear; her slender body to become more curvaceous; and for her parents to become "more Canadian".

After her wishes are granted and she tires of some of the changes, Maya discovers that things are not always what they seem. having her parents obey her every wish and command is just bizarre. In addition, Jamie's constant attention is almost smothering her. In search of normalcy, she is mysteriously relocated overnight to India with her father in search of the missing elephant God and cousin Pinky.

Her struggle to find Ganesh and subsequent reunification with Pinky, amounts to good triumphing over evil. When Maya and her father return to Manitoba and the status quo is regained, the family decides to move to the United States, where a highly desired job awaits her mother. For Maya, the move means letting go of her teenage consternation's and is symbolic of her newfound acceptance and belief in her future.

Thematic Links: Families; Cultural Conflict; Peer Pressure

Wendy L. Hogan
Vol. 11, number 1
October 2005

*Rating System:
E - Excellent, enduring, everyone should see it!
G - Good, even great at times, generally useful!
A - Average, all right, has its applications.
P - Problematic, puzzling, poorly presented.

Posted October 2005