The Bridge Home

Padma Venkatraman is a master at telling stories that will long resonate with you after you've finished reading her books. She is an American writer of books for young people, public speaker, scientist and an oceanographer. She has lived in 5 countries and visited many more. The author grew up in India and her stories reflect the myriad issues that people in her native country face including gender equality, homelessness, poverty, lack of education and loss of freedom.

The Bridge Home is Venkatraman's newest middle grade novel that will also appeal to adults. Her writing is sheer lyrical eloquence flowing from one page to another mesmerizing the reader as events unfold.

The Bridge Home is a story of friendship, resilience, and survival with some of the unbearable choices one must make to protect those we care about the most. It was also an emotional read bringing tears to my eyes with heart wrenching and yet heartwarming moments. Venkatraman has based The Bridge Home on her own mother's work with disadvantaged children in India, as well as conducting many interviews herself. While the story is fictional it is based on true stories of Indian street children who have run away looking for a better life or who may have been abandoned. It's an easy read with short vignettes, and evocative descriptions packing one emotional scene after another. Readers will be intrigued and even astounded on how resourceful the children's survival skills were. The circumstances of the story feel completely authentic and deeply moving as the reader gets a glimpse into the lives of unattached, homeless children. The world wide-plight of homeless children and ongoing issues are addressed at the end of book on the author's pages.

The Bridge Home starts as a “letter” written from the viewpoint of Viji. She is encouraged by Celina Aunty to write to her sister Rukku, a letter as a way to process her grief, getting her feelings down on paper. It gives the reader a warning that the sisters may have been separated by death. Through the letter writing process, the reader learns that Viji is eleven years old (indeed the story begins on her 11th birthday) and younger than Rukku by a year. Rukku is developmentally handicapped and Viji feels protective. Their father is alcoholic and abusive, their mother submissive. So Viji decides the two girls must run away to the city for protection. There they meet two boys, Arul and Muthu, who introduce them to the "job" of trash-heap mining. Along the way they acquire the stray pup Kutti as a companion and defender. The girls join the two boys camping on an abandoned bridge until they have to run away to avoid capture from unscrupulous men. The children form a close knit family, pooling their skills and resources to earn money for food and shelter supplies. Despite the horrible unpleasantness of scavenging reusable trash and occasional run ins with bullies these four children display a sense of humor, religious faith, and determination to survive. Unexpected illnesses require adult intervention as they weigh the consequences of seeking help.

The narrative moves at a fast pace. Descriptions of the life on the "Himalayas of Garbage" seemed realistic. I was inspired by their compassion, optimism and loyalty facing a variety of challenges to overcome. A message of hope at the end of the story comes from a realization that a place of strength comes from within. 

Besides being a wonderful read The Bridge Home is a pertinent classroom resource. It lends itself to small group discussions for middle school readers. The glossary in the beginning of the book referencing Indian names was helpful.

Check out Venkatraman's website for more information on the author, previously written books, information on upcoming events, and resources. https://padmavenkatraman.com/