The Bridge Home by Padma Venkatraman

How I Heard About It:  The wonderful Nancy Paulsen sent me this ARC.  The novel will be released February 5, 2019.  I read the book while on vacation in Oregon/Washington.  It was a complete pleasure to read.  Nancy sure does have a knack for presenting the best of the best.  


What It Is About - FIVE Things You Need to Know:  
1.  *Viji and Ruku are sisters that have endured quite a bit in their life.  They have been witness to their father's abuse toward their mother.  When his abuse moves closer to the children, Viji takes herself and sister out of the house.

2.  *The two sisters find themselves alone on the streets of their village.  They are scared, hungry, and not quite sure what their next step will be.

3.  *The girls come across two young boys who are also homeless.  Muthi and Arul have been homeless for quite some time and know the "rules" of the street.  The four of them bond and form a new type of family.  The boys show Viji how to survive and make money.  

4.  *Viji's main goal is to keep her younger sister Ruku safe, happy, and free.  Ruku isn't like other children and can't survive on her own.  

5.  *When illness strikes this new "family", Viji is torn between doing the right thing for the four of them and keeping them safe from the rest of the world; including her parents.  


What I Thought Of It:  The journey these four young people took was one of the most heartfelt stories I've read in a long time.  This was one of those books that once you start, you just keep reading until you get to the last page.  The writing was beautiful.  The emotions that each of these four characters had jumped right off the page and into my heart and mind.  The author did a tremendous job of describing what life was like on the street in this village.  I enjoyed how each of the children relied on each other for support, survival, and love.  This will definitely be a novel that I'll be sharing with my class during the 18/19 school year.  


Who Should Read It:   I can't decide whether I want to use this novel as a read aloud, a book club selection, or put into as many hands of individual readers.  It would work for any of these situations.  Readers in grades four, five, and six will be able to read the book with ease and enjoyment.  I would also recommend the story to adult readers who love to read strong middle-grade novels.  Happy Reading!  

Rating:  5 STARS out of 5 Stars!