This book is good for any young person trying to figure out who he or she is. It's about a middle school girl named Maya Mukherjee, who doesn't fit in, nevertheless, she does have friends, dreams of being a writer and even captures the attentions of local bad boy Jamie. Maya is torn between the white world and her Indian family and traditions. The story is set in the small town of Manitoba, Canada in the 1970's. Maya also wants to run on the tundra beneath the Northern Lights, make igloos or snow-angels, see John Travolta, and ride elephants through the Bengal jungle the way her great-grandfather did.
When her cousin Pinky arrives, everyone is amazed by her, including Jamie. Maya pleads to a statue of the Indian God, Ganesh, who helps her by diving her into a world where she becomes the beauty and the center of every one's affections.
Maya journeys to India where readers become introduced to the very different sights, sounds and smells of trains, homes and bazaars.
In the end, Maya realizes her self-centeredness and, as Ganesh predicts, she sees the truth of her life. She can learn to embrace the uniqueness of her background and carve out her own path to be an aspiring writer.
This story has everything to keep a middle schooler's interest: a love story, humor, and wonderful characters.
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