Blue Jasmine - Softcover

Kashmira Sheth's own experiences as a teenager who moved by herself from India to America inspired her to write the novel Blue Jasmine. She is a microbiologist and lives with her family in Madison, Wisconsin.

"When 12-year-old Seema moves with her parents and younger sister from India to Iowa City, she must leave her grandparents, extended family, and, most distressingly, her cousin Raju, who has been like a brother to her. Seema describes her adjustment to the newness of the U.S. the food, clothing, weather, education and her feelings: "I was always the outsider listening in ." Although she makes friends, she also encounters surprising hostility from another newcomer to her class, and ultimately learns the coping skills necessary to deal with this troubled girl. The writing is infused with evocative descriptions: " the few leaves left clinging to the trees made them look like beggars in ragged clothes" or "the days stretched out like a sari." Sheth uses Seema's letters to India and a classroom assignment to transmit significant cultural information, but at times this approach takes on a didactic and unnatural air. Still, the narrative advances steadily, with many opportunities for insights into the experience of this new immigrant, plus enough tension introduced through the bully to keep readers interested."
-School Library Journal
Lee Bock, Glenbrook Elementary School, Pulaski, WI
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Filled with details that document an immigrant's observations and experiences, Seema's story, which articulates the ache for distant home and family, will resonate with fellow immigrants and enlighten their classmates.”
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
-Booklist