Eleven-year-old Viji has had enough. Her mother might believe that her father is repentant and will stop abusing her. But when he hits Viji and Rukku, she makes a decision. However harsh life on the streets may be, it is preferable to being home with a drunken, abusive father. And so, Viji takes her sister Rukku away, determined to find a place where she can be safe. Amongst untrustworthy adults and bullies, she finds friends who are better than family. She finds home.
The Bridge Home is a story of grit and love, of finding home outside home. As a creative writing trainer, I thought about it as a mentor text too, a wonderful example of how well a story told in second person can work. Viji tells the story as if she is talking to her little sister Rukku. We hear every emotion in her voice–her longing, her regret and the depth of her love. Everything that she does is with Rukku in mind. She needs to make sacrifices and even tell a lie or two because above all, she must take care of her sister.
I also love when the title is artfully chosen. The idea of a bridge home takes on multiple meanings. For one, Viji and Rukku make their home on a bridge, finding a family of their own in two other homeless children. And eventually, it is this bridge that takes them to a home unlike any they’ve ever known.
A poignant story of sisterhood and belonging, The Bridge Home is a beautiful blend of the innocence of childhood and the harshness of a world that’s out to get you. It’s a story that makes your heart ache, but eventually, mends it too.
| Title | The Bridge Home |
| Author | Padma Venkatraman |
| Tags | Middle Grade, Realistic Fiction |
| Rating (out of 5) | 4.5 |
| Ages | 10+ |
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