The Bridge Home

I've had The Bridge Home by Padma Venkatraman on my to-read list for awhile. It's the story of 11-year-old Viji and her developmentally disabled sister Rukku, who run away from home to escape their abusive father. The girls head to the city and start navigating their new, difficult life as homeless children.

This was a beautifully well-written book and incredibly engaging. The four main character children were all so endearing, and I was just rooting for them the whole story. The book was quite heartbreaking--I was reading it while waiting for an eye appointment and had to stop because I was crying and didn't think that was ideal right before an eye exam. :) The story was gentle and thoughtful, and I also liked reading at the end of the book that the story was based on real experiences of homeless children in India.

Rating: * * * (3/3 = Loved it)