LitPick Review
Maria Singh is a courageous nine-year-old girl living in California. It is 1945, and with the World War II situation, things are not so great for Maria’s family. Her family is about to lose their farm. In these tough times, the one thing Maria wants to do is play on her school's first-ever girls’ softball team. Maria’s father (Papi) is from India where people did not approve of girls running around in shorts and playing sports. Further, her challenges are compounded by racial bullying in schools. So, will Maria be able to break the barriers of injustice, racism, and conventional mindset to pursue her passion to play softball?
Opinion:
I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars. The author creates a higher degree of engagement for the readers by slowly building various obstacles Maria faces throughout her journey. The author's use of Spanish and Punjabi words paints a nice picture of multicultural elements throughout the story, surfacing the evolution of life of early immigrants and providing an opportunity for young readers to familiarize themselves with different languages. The book illustrates and motivates readers to follow their passions no matter what obstacles they must face in their lives. Furthermore, in light of recent past racial events in America, this book serves as a great reminder to Americans about how they had worked through racial issues over the last century to evolve into a diverse and inclusive society that can coexist in harmony with various cultural differences.
