#406 - My Name is Cinnamon

by Vikas Prakash Joshi and illustrated by Niloufer Wadia

“My Name is Cinnamon” by Vikas Prakash Joshi and illustrated by Niloufer Wadia. Published by Hay House. An engrossing story of the coming of age of a boy who is trying to find his identity while experiencing everything that life has to offer to him.

The story starts with Roshan Rishikesh Paranjape aka Cinnamon representing his school in the finals of the Pune Under-13 School Football Championship. He is the goalkeeper and plays a key role in making his school win the match and clinch the trophy after a long gap of ten years. He seems like any other normal boy but his story is quite different. He is adopted and has known about that for a long time. His parents take good care of him and their small little family is like any normal family that one gets to see. Baba (Rishikesh) works from home and his Ma (Basundara) is a lawyer. Baba is a Maharashtrian while Ma is a Bengali. Baba is a vegetarian and Ma loves non vegetarian food as does Cinnamon. He gets to experience both their cultures and cuisines.

While life seems to be going quite happily with the usual things that happen to growing up children, Cinnamon has few different things that he must figure out what to do about. He seems to be having a problem trying to see in the dark. Something that starts getting apparent to him on a trip to his grandparents place in Kolkata. When his baba does not get him the expensive bike that he wants as a birthday present, he starts feeling confused and insecure. He wonders if baba’s refusal is because he is an adopted child. He has a desire to meet his birth parents and know why he was given up for adoption. He is unsure of how to go about this but the want is very much there and quite deep rooted. Will Cinnamon be able to meet his birth parents at all? Can his parents understand and be willing to let this even happen? Read the engrossing and compelling book to be a part of Cinnamon’s journey as he gets to know a lot more about himself and the world around him.

My almost nine year old and I found the book extremely interesting and just couldn’t put it down. We read it in 2-3 sittings and enjoyed it thoroughly. A range of emotions of Cinnamon and his family have been so vividly penned down in such a beautiful manner. Quite hard to believe that this is the debut book of the author! The themes of adoption, sacrifice, hope, love, family bonds, kindness, friendship, courage and acceptance are deftly woven into the narrative. Adoption is a sensitive topic and to see it being normalised by Cinnamon’s parents through stories from mythology and being open to discussing about it with him since a young age is something to be happy about. Topics like these are conversation starters for most children. Adoption isn’t easy for everyone involved but we as a society should be mindful and respect those who do it rather than taunting such people or showing disrespect to the children. This is something my son and I discussed about.

The narrative makes one take a dive into Cinnamon’s world and experience it. The descriptions of the places and the cuisines made it all the more appealing. The accompanying illustrations of Cinnamon and his family complement the story well. And, yes, there are surprises in the story till the very end. I will not give away the plot but there is a very important underlying theme which inspired the writer to create this story. Awareness about this topic is something that needs to be spread and I am thankful to have found this book. This does not mean that the book is only about difficult matters. There is enough humour, warmth and light heartedness peppered through most of the narrative. The setting and characters are quite relatable and have been given an authentic and contemporary touch. My mother overheard me and my son reading the book and is keen to read the book herself next as she felt it sounded quite interesting. Overall the book is a “MUST READ” for anyone aged 8/9 and above.

Here is a video of my son in conversation with the author Vikas Prakash Joshi about him and the book.

Recommended Age

The book is apt for anyone above the age of 8/9.

Reasons to Read

The book is an excellent means to broach extremely important and relevant contemporary themes which are difficult in nature such as adoption and acceptance.

Disclaimer - We received this book from the author, Vikas Prakash Joshi, for review. Thank you for sending across the book Vikas!