The Bridge Home

The Bridge Home

Padma Venkatraman

Nancy Paulsen/Penguin, 2019

191 pages

Grades 5-8

Realistic Fiction

In a letter to her special needs sister Viji recounts their adventures running away from an abusive father to the city. Life in the city is tough, but the kindness of strangers keeps them going until they meet two boys who are in the same predicament. Muthi and Arul live under an abandoned bridge and the girls join them both in their home, scraping together a living. The group becomes a makeshift family and they pool together their resources and talents to survive on the streets. Money comes from sifting through piles of garbage and selling what they can to a crooked junkman. Sister Ruku cannot sift through garbage, but she can bead necklaces made from beads given by a kind merchant. The necklaces bring in some much needed funds, providing food and other essentials. Life is tolerable, that is until their little home is ransacked and the rainy season descends. How will this band of children survive in a harsh world that has no place for them?

Even though this book had such great reviews, I put off reading it. It felt long and oppressive, along the lines of The Night Diary or Amal Unbound and I just couldn't face it. Surprisingly, I really enjoyed this book and did not feel bogged down by it. Instead, I was swept up in the drama of the characters and looked forward to picking it up again. Because it is written in a letter or diary format, the reader is instantly pulled into the action. Although the subject material is harsh, the book is not long and reads quickly. Terrible things happen to these characters, but ultimately this is a book of hope and finding something to be grateful for even when life is bleak. There is a tremendously sad bit that will hit readers hard, but I love that the author kept the story realistic and not a fairytale. Kids will experience the conditions of the poor of India and how difficult it is for children on their own, perhaps creating better citizens of the world. I love that Venkatraman delved into religion, an often taboo topic in children's literature, and offers multiple views on the topic. A well written and at times brutally realistic view of homeless children in contemporary India.