An Indian American girl navigates prejudice in her small town and
learns the power of her own voice in this brilliant gem of a middle
grade novel full of humor and heart, perfect for fans of Front Desk
and Amina's Voice.
As the only Indian American kid in her small town, Lekha Divekar feels
like she has two versions of herself: Home Lekha, who loves watching
Bollywood movies and eating Indian food, and School Lekha, who pins her
hair over her bindi birthmark and avoids confrontation at all costs,
especially when someone teases her for being Indian.
When a girl Lekha's age moves in across the street, Lekha is excited to
hear that her name is Avantika and she's Desi, too! Finally, there will
be someone else around who gets it. But as soon as Avantika speaks,
Lekha realizes she has an accent. She's new to this country, and not at
all like Lekha.
To Lekha's surprise, Avantika does not feel the same way as Lekha about
having two separate lives or about the bullying at school. Avantika
doesn't take the bullying quietly. And she proudly displays her culture
no matter where she is: at home or at school.
When a racist incident rocks Lekha's community, Lekha realizes she must
make a choice: continue to remain silent or find her voice before it's
too late.