Original de: El Blog del Gato - El Extraño Gato del Cuento

Sé que no soy lo suficientemente inteligente como para valorar apropiadamente la calidad de este libro, pero si alguien tan superficial como yo quedó completamente enamorada de esta historia, debería ser una lectura necesaria para todos



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One of the best audiobooks of my year. The author narrators this novel in verse. It is heart wrenching and beautiful. I will do more audiobooks of her work if she continues to narrators them and they are in verse. Very emotional. Very beautiful. ( )

In this novel in verse set in India, Veda is a Bharatanatyam dancer; her father and beloved grandmother Paati support her, but her mother wishes she would study harder and become an engineer. On the way home after winning a competition, Veda is in a car accident; when she wakes in the hospital, she discovers her right leg has been amputated below the knee. Veda grieves the loss of her leg, but heals and learns to walk again with crutches and a temporary prosthetic while a visiting American doctor makes her a better one. The new prosthetic is better, but Veda's old dance teacher won't take her back; determined to dance, Veda finds a new teacher (and her assistant, handsome Govinda). As Veda relearns her dancing skills and rebuilds her life, she comes to a different, deeper understanding of dance than she had before.

Quotes

God's grace moves the mute to eloquence
and inspires the lame to climb mountains. (43)

"Some things you never get used to being without." (Paati to Veda, 51)

"To me, Karma isn't about divine reward or retribution.
Karma is about making wise choices to create a better future.
It's taking responsibility for your actions.
Karma helps me see every hurdle as a chance to grow
into a stronger, kinder soul." (Paati to Veda, 98)

"Your strength...reminds me of the demon
whom Shiva fought,
the demon whose strength doubled
whenever he fell to the ground." (Govinda to Veda, 186)

"Inside you, Veda, I sense the flame of extraordinary courage,
but not enough compassion." (Akka to Veda, 197)

"For me that feeling
of wonder, of awe, of mystery,
of being in touch with something larger,
is as close as God comes." (Govinda to Veda, 240)

She is a pebble skipping
over the surface of a lake.
As I once was.
Not a deep sinking stone that leaves widening ripples behind
after it's disappeared.
As I hope to be. (288)

"There are three kinds of love, Veda.
A healthy love of one's physical self,
compassion for others,
and an experience of God." (Akka, 296)

See also: The Sea in Winter by Christine Day, Amal Unbound by Aisha Saeed ( )

middlegrade/teen fiction (realistic fic starring Hindu amputee teen living in India; very mild romance/crush, no foul language or violence or other adult situations). Novel written in verse (but not in an annoying way; kids will like how quickly they can fly through the chapters). Very relatable story despite all the differences between Veda and potential readers and a thoughtful, realistic portrayal of a "differently abled" person. #weneeddiversebooks #ownvoices ( )

I read this entire book from start to finish in a little less than 3 hours. This was honestly one of the most beautiful books I've ever read. The writing style was simple yet done in such a way the scenery and characters came to life in my head. I adored all of the characters and felt myself feeling their emotions and sympathizing with their struggles. Even though I knew next to nothing about the Hindi culture I still found all of the characters relatable and realistic. I'm probably going to read all of the other books this author has written. ( )