That Year at Manikoil

by Aditi Krishnakumar

“That Year at Manikoil” by Aditi Krishnakumar. Published by Duckbill. A story about ten year old Raji and her family set in Madras and the fictional village of Manikoil in 1944.

World War II is at its peak in Europe. The Japanese army is advancing towards India. People of Indian origin are fleeing from Burma, Malaya and other eastern countries back to India. Raji is sent off to her mother’s family village along with her sisters and mother as it is not deemed safe to be in Madras for the time being. Her elder brother Gopu has enlisted in the British Indian army. While they cannot understand why Indians need to fight on behalf of Britain, many hope that the British will give India its independence once the war is over.

Raji has her own challenges. She is overshadowed by her elder sisters Vasantha and Valli who are exceptionally well at studies while she herself is the complete opposite no matter how much she wants to change that. She is worried as to how school will be in Manikoil.

She feels like she will also be looked as an outsider. The air is rife with freedom struggle and the youth of  the village are actively involved. Raji’s family doesn’t have a great reputation as her grandfather has British officers visiting their home from time to time. The fact that Gopu is fighting in the war on behalf of the British is also not favoured by some people. Ilavarasi is a ten year old refugee from Malaya and ends up becoming Raji’s best friend. The looming uncertainty in their lives is so prominent.

The story spans across a year. What was it like growing up in such turbulent times? How was life in a village like Manikoil? What were the hopes and apprehensions of the people especially children? What sense did freedom make for them? Did Raji and her family have a role to play in the freedom movement at all? What did they learn from their experiences? Could they ever have old times again? Would Raji and her family be able to get back together? Read the gripping book to find out the coming of age of Raji and her family.

My almost eight year old enjoyed reading the book with me. He was hooked to the story and was curious to know what would happen next. This book is part of the “Songs of Freedom” series. We had already enjoyed reading the other book from the series , “The Chowpatty Cooking Club”. The only grouse that we had in this story was the usage of not so easy words. That apart, the book is a gem of a read. Though fictional, it has been written loosely based on how certain events took place. It offers a fresh look at how people at the time were affected by events like the World War II.

Recommended Age

The book is apt for children aged 9/10+ for reading on their own. It can be read aloud with a bit of explanation for 8+ year olds.

Reasons to Read

1. To get to know about India’s freedom struggle from the unique perspective of children living in those times.

2. To get a glimpse of how the life of people in 1940s India was. A village near Trichy in Tamilnadu in this case.

Where to buy from?

An independent indie bookstore, Funky Rainbow, from where I buy many of my books.

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