A sincere message of hope and compassion delivered against a backdrop of extreme poverty.
Kurtz recounts the events of a journey he made to India in hopes of finding spiritual enlightenment and a sense of purpose.
After arriving in Mumbai, Kurtz planned to attend a meditation retreat, but beyond that, he left his itinerary up to the provenance of spiritual discovery. What he found when he left the airport were duplicitous cabdrivers and child beggars who were part of a money-laundering scheme. Readers may question Kurtz’s guidance; after all, we’re seeing everything from the perspective of a bored white, young American and without much nodding to the effects of colonialism or how the West continues to affect India’s socioeconomic structure. The gentleness of Kurtz’s narrative, however, may alleviate any initial misgivings. At the meditation center, he met Dr. Rama Mad Mahi and Niranjan, both from Nasik, who were also seeking to add spiritual calm to their lives. Along with Tarun, who came from South Africa to India to discover his roots, Kurtz followed Dr. Mahi and Niranjan back to their hometown. Kurtz discovered details of Niranjan’s life that turned his initial suspicions about the young man into admiration. The theme of interaction figures prominently here, and Kurtz delves into his own failures when it comes to forming connections. This occasionally leads to the inclusion of conversational minutia, as when an argument with Tarun over a hotel room allows Kurtz to realize he’s finally standing up for himself. Kurtz rounds out his journey with a visit to a community of Tibetan monks and refugees, but it’s the final section of the book, Kurtz’s volunteer service at the Mother Teresa Mission in Kolkata, that gives his spiritual musings gravitas. Contrasted with frank descriptions of death and disease among Kolkata’s impoverished people, Kurtz learned to overcome his revulsion and ensured that their last days were filled with dignity, compassion and joy. The final moment of spiritual transcendence is wholly earned.
A sincere message of hope and compassion delivered against a backdrop of extreme poverty.Pub Date: Aug. 16, 2013
ISBN: 978-0984329229
Page Count: 294
Publisher: Alan Steinfeld
Review Posted Online: Oct. 31, 2013
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
In more ways than one, a tale about young creatures testing their wings; a moving, entertaining winner.
A fifth-grade New Orleans girl discovers a mysterious chrysalis containing an unexpected creature in this middle-grade novel.
Jacquelyn Marie Johnson, called Jackie, is a 10-year-old African-American girl, the second oldest and the only girl of six siblings. She’s responsible, smart, and enjoys being in charge; she likes “paper dolls and long division and imagining things she had never seen.” Normally, Jackie has no trouble obeying her strict but loving parents. But when her potted snapdragon acquires a peculiar egg or maybe a chrysalis (she dubs it a chrysalegg), Jackie’s strong desire to protect it runs up against her mother’s rule against plants in the house. Jackie doesn’t exactly mean to lie, but she tells her mother she needs to keep the snapdragon in her room for a science project and gets permission. Jackie draws the chrysalegg daily, waiting for something to happen as it gets larger. When the amazing creature inside breaks free, Jackie is more determined than ever to protect it, but this leads her further into secrets and lies. The results when her parents find out are painful, and resolving the problem will take courage, honesty, and trust. Dumas (Jaden Toussaint, the Greatest: Episode 5, 2017, etc.) presents a very likable character in Jackie. At 10, she’s young enough to enjoy playing with paper dolls but has a maturity that even older kids can lack. She’s resourceful, as when she wants to measure a red spot on the chrysalegg; lacking calipers, she fashions one from her hairpin. Jackie’s inward struggle about what to obey—her dearest wishes or the parents she loves—is one many readers will understand. The book complicates this question by making Jackie’s parents, especially her mother, strict (as one might expect to keep order in a large family) but undeniably loving and protective as well—it’s not just a question of outwitting clueless adults. Jackie’s feelings about the creature (tender and responsible but also more than a little obsessive) are similarly shaded rather than black-and-white. The ending suggests that an intriguing sequel is to come.
In more ways than one, a tale about young creatures testing their wings; a moving, entertaining winner.Pub Date: Nov. 11, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-943169-32-0
Page Count: 212
Publisher: Plum Street Press
Review Posted Online: Feb. 22, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2018
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A YA novel that treats its subject and its readers with respect while delivering an engaging story.
In the ninth book in the Bluford young-adult series, a young Latino man walks away from violence—but at great personal cost.
In a large Southern California city, 16-year-old Martin Luna hangs out on the fringes of gang life. He’s disaffected, fatherless and increasingly drawn into the orbit of the older, rougher Frankie. When a stray bullet kills Martin’s adored 8-year-old brother, Huero, Martin seems to be heading into a life of crime. But Martin’s mother, determined not to lose another son, moves him to another neighborhood—the fictional town of Bluford, where he attends the racially diverse Bluford High. At his new school, the still-grieving Martin quickly makes enemies and gets into trouble. But he also makes friends with a kind English teacher and catches the eye of Vicky, a smart, pretty and outgoing Bluford student. Martin’s first-person narration supplies much of the book’s power. His dialogue is plain, but realistic and believable, and the authors wisely avoid the temptation to lard his speech with dated and potentially embarrassing slang. The author draws a vivid and affecting picture of Martin’s pain and confusion, bringing a tight-lipped teenager to life. In fact, Martin’s character is so well drawn that when he realizes the truth about his friend Frankie, readers won’t feel as if they are watching an after-school special, but as though they are observing the natural progression of Martin’s personal growth. This short novel appears to be aimed at urban teens who don’t often see their neighborhoods portrayed in young-adult fiction, but its sophisticated characters and affecting story will likely have much wider appeal.
A YA novel that treats its subject and its readers with respect while delivering an engaging story.Pub Date: Jan. 1, 2004
ISBN: 978-1591940173
Page Count: 152
Publisher: Townsend Press
Review Posted Online: Jan. 26, 2013
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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