Demon in Dandi
Series: Songs of Freedom
MY THOUGHTS
Do you recall learning about the Dandi March in school? What are the facts you remember? Gandhiji’s long walk, salt tax, and maybe a few dates? Do you remember learning about why the village of Dandi was chosen by Gandhiji or what its topographic conditions were? Going beyond the facts and weaving a story around a historical event is why I love the Songs of Freedom series.
Demon in Dandi, the ninth book in the Song of Freedom series takes us to Gujarat in the 1930s. India is convinced they want to throw the British out and Gandhiji has managed to unite the nation to fight against the common enemy. He has planned a long march to protest against the latest atrocity by the British — the Salt Law.
Dinu, a young student, has been forced by his father to be a part of the Arun Tukdi — a group of student volunteers from the Gujarat Vidyapith. This group is preparing Dandi for Bapu’s arrival — educating the villagers about Bapu’s march, encouraging people to spin using spindles, and setting up accommodations for the marchers. Dinu isn’t good at digging trenches, or cooking, or spinning and would much rather be back home in Surat reading his Sherlock Holmes mysteries. But forced to be in Dandi, Dinu befriends a local family and learns about the demon that lurks in Dandi. Even as he grapples with conflicting stories, a staff member of the family he befriends is murdered, and the demon leaves his mark right next to the body. Now, his new friends are distraught and believe that Dinu can solve the mystery.
Lavanya Karthik writes a story that brings alive every tiny detail of Dandi down to its marshy, swampy saltwater catchments. Even though there are so many characters in the story, we are instantly drawn to every one of them because of her exhaustive character sketches. Her humorous characters have us laughing along and keep us hooked and on the edge of our seats with the whodunit. Her research of the caste system, communities, architecture, and society of Dandi makes us feel like we are walking through Dandi, peering over Dinu’s shoulder.
What I love about this book is it will hook your middle-grade reader because it is a fast-paced thriller, all while painting a complete picture of life in pre-Independent India, especially around the Dandi March. What does being a child at that age look like? This book (and the rest of the Songs of Freedom series) answers just that. Children shouldn’t balk at the thought of learning Indian history! Here is a set of books that transports the reader to the times of the freedom struggle by weaving stories that feature children just like them. How’s that for making Indian history fun to learn for kids?
If you think your child would enjoy this book, you can buy it here →
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