Review: The Bridge Home

The Bridge Home by Padma Venkatraman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The cover of this book is stunning, but the words inside will captivate your heart. I'm struggling to find the best words to describe this book. Each time I type a few lines, I realize they don't do the story justice, so I just delete them. Instead of trying to summarize the story, let me just say why I love it. I love books that show the world as it truly is, even when the truth is ugly and hard to swallow. I want my own children and the students I teach to appreciate every gift they are given; sometimes those gifts are as simple as being born in the United States. The only way to appreciate the things we often take for granted is to see into the lives of others.

Children who are suffering in abusive homes or living in poverty will read this book and realize they aren't alone. They may even feel like they are doing well compared to the suffering the four homeless children in the book endure. My hope is that students will read this book and feel hopeful for their future. Despite all that Viji loses, she still finds a way to hope that she can create a better life for herself.

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