A Patch of Sun and A Patch of Shade

MY THOUGHTS

This is a beautiful book and was one of my favourite books of 2025. The story is about the friendship between two girls – Lalli, who is the daughter of migrant workers who come to Sakleshpur to find work during the coffee cherry picking season – and Champa, who is the daughter of plantation owners. Champa is largely kept at home because of her skin condition, Vitiligo. She has been sidelined and hidden inside the house for years, to the point where she is pulled out of school as well. 

On reaching Coorg, Lalli is left to fend for herself through the day as her parents are employed by the plantation owners. She learns about the gardens around her, climbing trees, eating fruit, and chatting with the other women. But when she finds Champa, she knows she has found a friend. Lalli teaches Champa new games, and Champa finds a companion in Lalli who doesn’t make fun of her skin condition. The girls come from vastly different worlds, but their friendship and how they make it work is so endearing. 

I love the book for three main reasons. Firstly, I enjoyed the fact that Vidya Nesarikar has returned to her roots and set the book in Karnataka. She harvests from her childhood and includes folksongs in the Kannada script (with translation!) in the book. The games the girls play, the food they eat, are all in Kannada, and it feels amazing to have a children’s story set in interior Karnataka. Secondly, I admired the fact that Vidya has not focused on the gaping differences between the girls but has left it for the reader to uncover. Sure, she talks about the places they live in and their individual families, but she focuses more on their friendship. Thirdly, I liked how she highlighted that though Llali was not book smart, her knowledge of trees, fruits, animals, and culture showed how intelligent she was. 

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. It is a lovely story of friendship, loss, and growing up, and it would be perfect for children 10+. Do pick up your copy today!