Small Acts of Amazing Courage

Whelan, G. (2011). Small acts of amazing courage. New York: Simon & Schuster. It is 1919, and Rosalind James, 15, has spent her whole life in India where her father leads a regiment. He is often away from home, and while he is gone, her mother is in charge of running the household. But she isn't very good with finances or discipline and has allowed Rosalind the freedom to explore the bazaars and culture of their town. It seems that she is drawn to the flavors and habits of India rather than those of her British patriots, most of whose conversations bore her. On one occasion, she even attends a rally led by Ganhi who is trying to rally support for Indian self-determination. When Rosalind learns that a baby has been sold to a man who buys children and deliberately cripples them, she wrecklessly buys the baby herself, setting a chain of events that leads to her father exiling her to England. Off she goes, miserable at the changes in her life but hopeful that at the very least she will obtain a quality education. Her two spinster aunts are as opposite as it is possible for two individuals to be. Aunt Ethyl is the dominant one who controls the purse strings and determines every act taken by Aunt Louise is softer and more nurturing. For whatever reasons, Ethyl prevented Louise's marriage many years ago, and now the two lead a quiet, safe, and boring life. From the start, Rosalind and her aunt butt heads, and she senses a kindred spirit in Louise. When the two of them make plans to attend a lecture by a woman speaking about the need for India's independence after encountering Max Nelson, the son of a British woman who runs an orphanage for Indian children back home, they are inspired but also caught by Ethyl. Various circumstances lead to Rosalind's swift return to India where she can once again savor the flavors of her adopted country. This is a story of independence on several levels: Rosalind's, her aunt Louise's, and India's. It is from small acts of extraordinary courage such as taking control of your own finances that lead to even larger acts of rebellion. The author provides many examples of the difference between how the wealthier British citizens live and the lifestyle of many of the Indian servants. This title offers a glimpse of an important period in world history, and is sure to remind readers of the necessity to stand up for what is right even when it goes against what others maintain is right. Rosalind herself is impressive and inspiring, and her growth and dawning awareness of the inequities around her seem realistic and natural.

Favorite Lines:

“He placed them with their bowls at strategic locations in the bazaar, and then late in the day he would gather them up like so many dolls that had lost their stuffing and take them away along with all they had earned for him” (p. 15).



“When I picked up the still-warm, limp body and held it in my hand, I saw that all its bright colors had faded, and I saw how much is lost when something dies” (p. 119).