Author’s Dedication:
"To my mom and dad
To David
To Leo, Jeremy, Dylan, and Valerie
With love"
Another fresh voice in YA literature…Emma-Jean, “the smartest—and definitely the strangest” seventh grade girl in her middle school!
After teaching middle schoolers for more than twenty years, I thought I’d had enough Girl Angst to last me a lifetime, but it was refreshing to hear Emma-Jean’s take on the situation. (During the nine years I taught 7th grade English at
Tarshish has created vibrant, appealing characters; the custodian who watches out for Emma-Jean at school and the renter who answered her mother’s ad for the third floor rooms were two of my favorites. Here’s a passage detailing how their renter, Vikram Adwani, came into their lives:
“He had come over one rainy evening for an interview, which had lasted for more than two hours. He made an excellent impression on both Emma-Jean and her mother. He had a serene manner. Judging from his spotless clothing, well-polished boots, and clean fingernails, he practiced excellent hygiene. He maintained a busy schedule of classes and study, which made it unlikely that he would host late-night parties. He moved in three days after their meeting and very quickly assumed responsibility for preparing the evening meal for the entire household.
Within a few weeks of Vikram’s arrival, Emma-Jean had moved some school supplies from her desk to the kitchen table, where she would do her homework. She liked being as close as possible to the wonderful aroma of curry spices and garlic and steaming rice, and to Vikram, who hummed in a soft and soothing manner as he chopped and stirred.”
Doesn’t that sound relaxing? The perfect place to do your homework! The descriptions of Vikram’s culinary dishes were absolutely mouth-watering, and I stumbled upon Stuti Garg’s blog while I was reading Emma-Jean...a lovely coincidence which has inspired me to try my hand at some exotic curry dishes…after I can locate some of the uncommon spices Stuti suggests!
