The Pink Dress

Earlier this month, I saw posts on social media about The Pink Dress–the story of a girl who wants a pink dress and will not let anything stand in the way. I was uncomfortable about the stereotype of a girl wanting pink. I couldn’t help thinking about how my book clubbers would respond to the book.

And yet, I knew that a hOle book by Shabnam Minwalla wouldn’t be as simple as that. Besides, stereotypes exist for a reason, and why must every story deliberately contradict an idea that many would identify with?

With all these thoughts in mind, I started reading.

And I loved the book.

Yes, Kanmani, the protagonist of the story, wants a pink dress. But that’s just one layer of this deceptively simple story. As we read on, we understand where she comes from and why the pink dress is out of reach. Just like in When Jiya Met Urmila, we see class divides, which are so complex and yet so simple. Kanmani’s mother is nanny to Diva Shah, and who but Diva could help Kanmani get her heart’s desire?

More than once, I found myself laughing out loud. Principal Dolly Divecha reminds me in some ways of Tinaz Toddywala from Jumble Sale, and not just because of her alliterative name. They’re very different, but perhaps Dolly Divecha is who Tinaz Toddywala could have been in different circumstances!

Hilarious situations, determined children, and wild, wacky plans come together in this fun chapter book that addresses big themes with subtlety and light-heartedness.