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Ahimsa

 
Ahimsa
by Supriya Kilkar
Lee & Low Books, 2017, Fiction. 307 p.
Anjali lives as a Brahman in a smallish town in India during the time of Gandhi. Her father is a professor and her mother works as a translator for the top British official in her village. One day her mother realizes she can no longer support the injustices she sees in her employer's service and instead joins the resistance movement. At first Anjali is reluctant to join her mother in wearing only homespun cloth and serving the "untouchables" but soon she comes to adopt the principals of Ahimsa (non-violence) and the brotherhood of all people.  Here is a book that allows the reader to get a glimpse into another time and culture. Ghandi's vision of a world where there is freedom and equality for all people is especially relevant today.  Kilkar shows how one girl's small sacrifices for the cause of good really can make a difference.


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