Small Acts of Amazing Courage

Gr 6—10—Rosalind is the 15-year-old willful daughter of a British major and his wife who are stationed in India. When her father arrives home from World War I, he discovers that his delicate wife has not ruled the household or their daughter as strictly as he would like and sets out to correct that. Rosalind becomes intrigued with Gandhi's movement to win India's freedom from British rule, which infuriates her father. After disobeying him once too often, she is shipped off to England to live with two aunts and attend boarding school. Her determination to do as she pleases brings about misadventures during a cholera outbreak on the voyage and with her aunts. When notified of her misdeeds, her horrified parents demand that she return to India immediately. She happily complies, taking her timid aunt, who through Rosalind has found her own freedom, with her. Whelan paints a detailed picture of the lives of the English and the Indians during British rule, especially those of the women and children in both cultures, without detracting from the story. The dominant theme of the book, the value of freedom by nations and individuals, is cleverly woven into the plot. The characters are fully fleshed out and illustrate the differences and similarities between the two cultures during a period that doesn't receive much treatment in young adult literature. The ending is a little too pat, but readers won't care. This is a beautifully written, fascinating, and informative story.—Nancy P. Reeder, Heathwood Hall Episcopal School, Columbia, SC