Clara behaves differently; something happened last summer, which is hard for her to recall, or I might say she refuses to. Even her best friend Gaynah ridicule her for not remembering what happened. But with the arrival of the new girl Rudy in their village, her friendships nurture, and so her equation with her uncle Eldorath, who was allegedly abandoned by the entire village.
Kereen has written an adorable middle-grade book. It’s a beautiful story of letting go and forgiving oneself, of friendship and loss. The best part of the book is the TWIST! the REVELATION! It blew me. I was like- what? wow! Was it that way all along? I read that part again to make sure I read it correctly. Honestly, I did that. I was very much astonished, and that surprise just made all the difference. I loved it. I sincerely recommend this if you’re into middle-grade books.
The only thing that bothered me was that the twist came only after when the seventy percent of the book was almost done. So, for the earlier part, it seems a little unadorned narration. Otherwise, it goes great.
Have you happened to read this book? Or thinking of it lately?
Do share your thoughts in the comments below.
-Harshita
Title: When Life Gives You Mangoes
Author: Kereen Getten
Publisher: Pushkin Press
Publishing Date: October 2020
My Rating: 4 stars
Links: Goodreads Instagram Twitter Facebook
