Climbing the Stairs - by Padma Venkatraman (Paperback)

About the Book

Set during World War II and the last days of British occupation in India, this remarkable debut poignantly depicts a young girl struggling to find her place in a mixed-up world, and tells a powerful story about love and loss set against a fascinating historical backdrop.

Book Synopsis

Read Padma Venkatraman's posts on the Penguin Blog.

Fifteen-year-old Vidya dreams of going to college-- an unusual aspiration for a girl living in British occupied India during World War II. Then tragedy strikes, and Vidya and her brother are forced to move into a traditional household with their extended family, where women are meant to be married, not educated. Breaking the rules, Vidya finds refuge in her grandfather's library. But then her brother does something unthinkable, and Vidya's life becomes a whirlwind of political and personal complications. The question is, will she be strong enough to survive?

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Review Quotes

"This novel vivifies a unique era and culture as it movingly expresses how love and hope can blossom even under the most dismal of circumstances." - "Publishers Weekly", starred review

"In her first novel, Venkatraman paints an intricate and convincing backdrop of a conservative Brahmin home in a time of change." - "Booklist", starred review



?This novel vivifies a unique era and culture as it movingly expresses how love and hope can blossom even under the most dismal of circumstances.? ?"Publishers Weekly", starred review

?In her first novel, Venkatraman paints an intricate and convincing backdrop of a conservative Brahmin home in a time of change.? ?"Booklist", starred review

This novel vivifies a unique era and culture as it movingly expresses how love and hope can blossom even under the most dismal of circumstances. "Publishers Weekly", starred review

In her first novel, Venkatraman paints an intricate and convincing backdrop of a conservative Brahmin home in a time of change. "Booklist", starred review

About the Author

Padma Venkatraman lives in North Kingstown, Rhode Island. An oceanographer by training, she is the author of twenty books for young readers, published in India, on a variety of subjects. To learn more, about her book Climbing the Stairs, visit the web site, www.climbingthestairsbook.com. You can also read her blog, padmasbooks.blogspot.com.