A Group of One - Hardcover

Gilmore, Rachna

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0805064753 ISBN 13: 9780805064759

Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR), 2001

Synopsis

A girl of mixed heritage discovers that both cultures are important parts of who she is.

Mr. Toller grins. "I guess we plain old regular Canadians need to know the history of other places to get a real and balanced view."
Plain old regular.
As in white.
It jolts through me like lightning. I almost bought his idea of regular--that's why I was afraid to read my grandmother's story.
My heart pounds, but I have to say it.
"Mr. Toller, I AM a regular Canadian."

Hey, Tara, what's your mother tongue?

It's questions like these that make fourteen-year-old Tara Mehta boil, especially when they're asked by teachers who ought to know better. Yes, her parents were raised in India, but Tara has lived in Ottawa her whole life -- she's as Canadian as everybody else. There are much more important things than where her family came from. Jeff, for instance. He's the new guy with the blue eyes and a brain that actually works.

But then she meets her grandmother for the first time. Naniji fought with Gandhi in the Indian Indepence movement, and she's horrified to learn that her grandchildren know almost nothing about their heritage. Tara resents her grandmother's attitude until she learns how Naniji came to join the fight for indepence. Shocked and angered by the history that she's never been taught in school, Tara decides to tell Naniji's story to her class. In the wake of the violently mixed reactions that follow, Tara comes to realize that most people need to expand their definition of what it means to be a "regular" Canadian -- including herself.

About this title

About the Author

Rachna Gilmore is a highly acclaimed author with many children's books to her credit. In 1999 she received the Governor General's Literary Award, Canada's highest literary honor for children's text, for A Screaming Kind of Day. Born in India, Ms. Gilmore now lives in Ontario, Canada, with her husband and two daughters. She makes her U.S. debut with A Group of One.

From School Library Journal

Grade 6-9-This novel asks a number of important questions within the framework of a good story. Tara, 15, considers herself Canadian and has never given much thought to her racial or cultural identity. Neither she nor her sisters know much about their parents' heritage. When their paternal grandmother arrives from India for a lengthy visit, the tensions in the family run high. The sisters learn that Naniji has never approved of their mother or her family because they were not active in India's independence movement. Naniji and her relatives, on the other hand, were leaders in the nonviolent protests initiated by Gandhi and suffered terribly as a result. At first angry and sullen in her grandmother's presence, Tara does an about-face as she learns the woman's story. She interviews Naniji for a history assignment that, when presented to the class, causes her classmates to think in new and unfamiliar ways. In addition to family difficulties, Tara's budding romance with a new boy in her class is complicated by multiple misunderstandings and thoughtless actions. The climax and resolution of these problems are dramatic and satisfying. As Tara seeks to define her own identity, she begs to be thought of as a "group of one," not stereotyped as a member of a larger group because of the color of her skin or the national origin of her parents. She changes a bit too quickly from being angry to serving as her grandmother's ally and champion but she is a strong protagonist. An excellent vehicle for discussion.
Bruce Anne Shook, Mendenhall Middle School, Greensboro, NC
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
• Publication date: 2001
• ISBN 10: 0805064753
• ISBN 13: 9780805064759
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 192