Who didn’t want to be a freedom fighter while studying about the independence movement? I know I dreamt of being a heroine – just like Sakina in The Chowpatty Cooking Club. I would do something meaningful and brave. I would do whatever it took! But like Sakina, the question was what?
Bursting with humour, innocence and a burning, childlike desire to prove yourself, The Chowpatty Cooking Club by Lubaina Bandukwala is a lovely read. It is the tale of three young children who are determined to be heroes. It’s tough being a heroine when you have a strict grandfather, but Sakina must triumph. She, Zenobia and Mehul must do everything they can – learn to cycle, make flags, investigate the People’s Radio … But is it enough? Are they doing anything at all?
They are, but they don’t know it yet.
Written almost like a murder mystery, The Chowpatty Cooking Club gives us glimpses of a mysterious spy even while we experience most of the story through the protagonist Sakina’s eyes. I love books that use more than one perspective, and as I read, I chuckled. If the children think they’re being foiled at each turn, one can’t help rejoicing at the plight of the spy, foiled by three clueless children!
I have a soft spot for historical fiction, and The Chowpatty Cooking Club with its twists and turns made the 1940s come alive to me. It’s a period in history that we know well thanks to our history books. Looking at it through the eyes of a child of the times was a novel experience.
| Title | The Chowpatty Cooking Club |
| Author | Lubaina Bandukwala |
| Tags | Historical Fiction, Middle Grade, Songs of Freedom Series |
| Rating (out of 5) | 4 |
| Age-group | 10+ |
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