Darswords

The Boy Who Was Left Behind by Gita V. Reddy
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Can you remember things that happened in childhood that impacted you? Did you interpret what was said or done around you? I can remember my aunt was trying to get me to eat. I was always a picky eater. Still am. So she pointed down the street of my grandmother’s house toward the dairy, “If you don’t eat, you’ll dry up and fly away, and the cows will eat you!” I ate.

I remember interpreting from a bedtime tale that castles were dragons. The nightmare that night caused me to scream out that there was a castle under my bed. Children can misunderstand words and deeds. The Boy Who Was Left Behind presents that theme. Here’s the blurb on the GoodReads and Amazon pages:

“Vimal lives with his grandmother. His parents, who are NRIs – non-resident Indians – leave him with his grandmother when he is two. Vimal grows up in Jaipur, happy and secure in the loving care of his grandmother. His parents are a blurred memory made up from short visits. When Vimal is eight, a phone call in the night turns his world topsy-turvy. His grandmother leaves him with relatives and goes to London.

Once again, Vimal is left behind – this time with a secret that is too big for a young boy.”

This book would be a great read-aloud for parents/teachers/counselors, and children. It could instigate conversations of help and healing.

Rarely do I share another review. Not because mine is so good, but rather I don’t want to overwhelm myself or others. If I put it out there, the readers would find others to read for themselves if it struck interest. But Grady’s Review on Amazon and GoodReads is super and tells what I feel about the author.

View all my reviews