Rachna Gilmore, author and illustrator,
A Group of One.
Henry Holt & Co., 2001.

The novel, written for kids 12 and over, is primarily about the upheavals that occur in the life of an Indian-Canadian family when the grandmother (Naniji) visits from India. The protagonist is Tara, a well-adjusted 15-year-old who considers herself a "regular" Canadian because that is where she has spent her whole life. Tara is initially resentful of her visiting grandmother because the grandmother seems to disapprove of Tara’s mother's somewhat Western ways and indeed of the Canadian ways of the whole family: the kids don't know Hindi, nor about Diwali; they don’t play the sitar and, worst of all, know nothing of the family's role and sacrifice during the Indian Independence movement.

This is too much for Tara: This is the world I live in. But how do I fit? I’m not one of the true natives, the First Nations, and not one of the whites who marauded the globe colonizing, who tell the history of Canada from when they arrived. I’m too dark for the Samanthas and the rednecks, but not dark enough for Tolly, or Indian enough for Naniji, too Canadian, too Western. Always too something. Never just right.

Nevertheless, Tara gradually becomes familiar with Naniji, and even starts to develop a closer bond with her. When Tara has to write a paper for her History class, she writes about the day Naniji’s family was arrested by the British, back in 1942. The most evocative part of the book occurs when Tara alternates between wanting to read the paper to her class, and not wanting to because of how her friends will react to it and to her (how it will affect her acceptance within the group). She reads the paper anyway. As she had feared, some of her classmates do "shutter down" - close up by seeming to brand her as "other". But, unexpectedly, some of them actually congratulate her and thank her for introducing her to an aspect of history and of herself of which they had been unaware.

But, this is far from the punch line. That occurs when Tara comes home and tells her mother and grandmother of her presentation. Emboldened by their pride in her accomplishment, she tells them of an incident that occurred at school immediately after her presentation. Tara had stood up to her teacher for implying that she is not a "regular Canadian". As a result of Tara’s assertion, the teacher had acknowledged his error and apologized to Tara.

Even as Tara's mother congratulates her for taking a stand, Naniji "shutters down". For Naniji cannot countenance the fact that her granddaughter is a proud Canadian - what of the family's heritage, sacrifice and history back in India? What of their allegiance to India?

Naniji catches me staring and tries to smile. She’s stiff, but it’s not like before, with the criticism and disapproval and the hostility. Her eyes – they are hurt.

The resolution of the conflict within the family and within Tara's own mind is handled by Ms. Gilmore with great maturity and eloquence. She articulates opposing points of view with clarity and grace. Without talking down to the reader, she addresses sensitive issues such as race and color, assimilation and alienation, head-on. This is important especially because these issues are hardly ever addressed in a safe, non-ideological way, without putting one or the other side down as the victim or the aggressor, the turncoat or the conservative.

I highly recommend this book - not just for kids in this age group, but even for their parents and grandparents. In fact, all kids (on any rung of the assimilation ladder) will benefit from reading this book because it will create a better understanding and awareness of the inner script that guides our public lives.

Notes:

1. The mother's character is very well-developed. She is shown to be a somewhat irreverent, fun-loving yet very caring parent. She is not shocked when Tara's friend Jeff drops in, even though he does so while Naniji is in the house. Neither does she brook much patience for elaborate Indian cooking. Her specialty, noted with humor, is the "one pot bhaji"! The dad cooks some meals – spaghetti!

All these characterizations are more authentic and reflective of our real lives. While it is fun to read this character for her own sake, Ms Gilmore has done a great service because non-Indian readers will come away with a better understanding of the diversity and openness that is possible within the immigrant Indian community. We are not all exotic and conservative, "gifted" and nerdy - the model minority.

2. Naniji’s character is a wonderful study in resilience and flexibility. She is fluent in English and the ways of the Western world; but she is also very committed to the cause of India. At the grand old age of seventy, she accepts her mistakes and builds a bridge to the daughter-in-law that she did not care for and the grandchildren that she had never met before.

3. The history lesson is a wonderful example of "living history" – making it personal. Although, such exercises can often lead to tired characterizations of historic events, they create the possibility for true learning. I bet the kids in Tara’s class learnt more of the atmosphere in India during 1942, than we Indians know from merely cramming the facts. Looking back, I wish I had had a chance to talk to my grandparents about their lives during the pre-Independence days. What a loss!

4. The teacher "Tolly" deserves credit. Some of his remarks are thoughtless and divisive. But, this is more out of ignorance than malice. This becomes amply clear when he apologizes to Tara for his remarks. True learning takes place because of open-minded teachers like him and because of the atmosphere of free inquiry that they foster.

Nandini Pandya
January 27, 2003

Nandini Pandya is a mother of two and a resident of the US for almost twenty years. Originally she is from Mumbai.

http://www.desijournal.com/book.asp?articleid=50