#442 - The Girl Who Loved to Run : P.T.Usha

by Lavanya Karthik

“The Girl Who Loved to Run : P.T.Usha” by Lavanya Karthik. Published by Duckbill. A charming short biography of the childhood of the legendary athlete.

P.T.Usha is a popular sportsperson who gained fame due to her incredible speed and strength. Before she became a legend in the world of running, she was just a young girl Usha who could run very fast like the wind. The book talks about the time when Usha was nine years old. She had no inkling that she was cut out for running and would represent India one day. She lived in the town of Payyoli which would later become famous and contribute its name to the name by which she came to be known by - “Payyoli Express”.

It was a day like any other. Usha was making the most of the lunch break by playing with her friends after eating. She was sprinting and dodging during the game of blind man’s buff which she always did. But someone was watching her with a keen eye. It was her sports teacher Bala Sir. He called Usha and mentioned that she could be a good athlete from what he saw her do. She was surprised and didn’t tell him that she was doing all these things just because they were part of the game that she was playing. To her astonishment, she finds that Bala Sir wants her to participate in a race where the other participants seem older to her. He wants to see if his hunch about her real worth is true. With trepidation, she runs. Can she beat the fastest runner in their district who is three years older than her? Read the book to know about the incredible and awe-inspiring journey of the legend who could run as quick as a bird and as fast as a train.

The book proved to be quite delightful and my nine year old just couldn’t put it down. The anticipation of what would happen next kept him hooked. The narration in the voice of nine year old Usha herself made us feel like we were in the middle of the action thanks to the vivid description of the sequence of events. He had already read a book about P.T.Usha from the “Women in Sports”series earlier. But this was a detailed story focusing on her childhood and how she started her journey in the world of sports. This is the tenth book from the amazing “dreamers” series by Lavanya Karthik. The entire series is a favourite of ours and we eagerly look forward to every book that comes about in the series. The accompanying illustrations are inspired by the Kerala mural art and add a lovely touch to the narrative. The book is apt for children aged 7 and above.

P.S - The previous books from the series are on Satyajit Ray, Teejan Bai, R.K.Narayan & R.K.Laxman, Janaki Ammal, Salim Ali, Bachendri Pal, P.C.Sorcar, Mahasweta Devi and J.R.D.Tata.

Recommended Age

The book is apt for children aged 7 and above.

Reasons to Read

For the inspiring story of how the golden girl began her journey in the world of athletics.

Disclaimer - We received this book from the publisher, Penguin India (Duckbill), for review. Thank you to Mansi, from Penguin, for sending across the book!