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Criterion 6: Tells a good story with places for laughing and crying

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Criterion 6: Tells a good story with places for laughing and crying

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The beginning of this book is delightful. It perfectly describes Reha’s parents and their path to where they are in Reha’s life. The joy does not last forever as Reha’s mom gets sick. The book takes a sad turn, but it sprinkles in moments of sunshine throughout. It describes brief moments with Reha’s friends that bring her a little joy in this dark time. Toward the end of the book, the tears can flow when Reha receives a letter from her mom a month after her passing. Then the book finishes her and her dad’s first moments of acceptance of her mother’s passing.

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Criterion 5: Challenges readers to re-examine their beliefs

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Criterion 5: Challenges readers to re-examine their beliefs

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This book causes readers to take a second look at the people around them. We have no idea what is going on in a person’s personal life. Just because someone does not look like you does not mean they don’t experience things the same. Death does not discriminate, as Larocca points out in this book. Each culture deals with Death differently, but each person grieves. This book allows young readers to view life from a different culture.

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Criterion 4: Explores universal themes within different periods and cultures

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Criterion 4: Explores universal themes within different periods and cultures

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There are most certainly universal themes expressed in this book. One theme would be the sense of belonging to two different cultures. Children of immigrant parents can relate to this theme in the book. Another theme is losing a loved one and how to deal with that emotion. LaRocca expresses this by telling a story across multiple poems called Savitri. Larocca writes about a woman who cheats her husband’s death. Savitri (the wife in the story) is approached by Lord Yama who is the God of Death who is there to take her husband, Satyavan’s life. Lord Yama claims he can grant Savitri any wish besides her husband’s life. Savitri makes multiple wishes with her last one asking for more children with her husband. Lord Yama grants this wish, and Savitri points out that her husband must live for this wish to succeed, and Lord Yama agrees. Satyavan’s life is saved. Although Satyavan’s life is saved, Lord Yama will come for his life again, and that time he will go with him. This story is meant to showcase how desperate Reha feels to save her mom but in the end everyone’s life will come to an end. Reha’s mom’s life might be able to be saved, but Reha will be faced with the situation again just later in life

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Criterion 3: Includes compelling and/or disconcerting characters

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Criterion 3: Includes compelling and/or disconcerting characters

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Reha is a compelling character. She is having an identity crisis, especially when she feels American during the week and Indian on the weekend. Reha’s identity can be even more challenging when she is trying to navigate the early years of being a teenager. Reha wants to please her parents but also wants to be freer. Most teenagers can relate strongly to a character like Reha and especially if they have immigrant parents. As the book progresses, we see Reha develop more layers of complexity as she has now lost a parent. She has to navigate this duality and now has to battle grief.

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This image is meant to represent Duality 

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Criterion 2: Exposes readers to complex human dilemmas

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Criterion 2: Exposes readers to complex human dilemmas

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Rejani Larocca wrote this book based on aspects of her life. Larocca felt like she was in two different worlds. Larocca exposes the dilemma of growing up in America and having Immigrant parents. She expresses this in her first poem in the book, “I have two lives. /One that is Indian,/one that is not./ I have two best friends./One who is Indian,/one who is not.”(poem Two ). Several children experience this dilemma every day of their life. Larocca is just bringing this dilemma to life. Also, she is exposing what it is like to lose a parent at a young age. We do not often hear about how children feel when a parent dies at a young age. It felt very authentic to read about Reha’s loss. Larocca writes in a poem very similar to her first poem, “I have two lives. /The one Before/and the one After./And I am jealous of the whole world./I see Sunny,/Rachel,/Pete,/strangers on the street,/and burn with envy/ because they have mothers,/and I don’t.”(pg,193). Reha still has two lives, but it is now steeped in anger, and she does not understand how to express this anger correctly. Larocca can do this because of her personal experiences.

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Criterion 1: Written in language perfectly suited to the author’s purpose

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Criterion 1: Written in language perfectly suited to the author’s purpose

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This book is beautifully written in verse. This suits the book because it helps to share snippets of someone’s life as opposed to every detail. Also, Larocca intertwines Indian tales as poems to help show the comparison in her life. In the author’s note Larocca states, “This novel appeared in my head as a metaphor, and I knew I wanted to write it in verse.” (pg.215). The poems are written smoothly and are not very long. This allows the reader to grasp the emotion Larocca is trying to convey. An example of this is one of the shortest poems in the book about her mother's passing,
“A mother is like life’s blood/Nourishing you/Protecting you/Helping you stop hurting/Until/She/is/gone/I am still here, /but she cannot stay.”(poem The River ). Larocca uses verse to show her emotion precisely throughout the book.

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Reha, the main character, is split between two worlds. She is part American and part Indian. Her parents immigrated from India and want Reha to become something of herself. As Reha explores new relationships, her life stops when her mom gets sick. This illness comes when Reha and her mom have not been very close. Reha and her dad tackle their mom’s illness together and try their best to make things work. They receive support between close friends and relatives from India to help with their mom. In the end, Reha’s mom ends up passing and teaching Reha a valuable lesson about life.

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Author: Rajani Larocca
Publication date: February 2, 2021

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Dive into a short "podcast" of "Red, White, and Whole" by Rajani Larocca