The Bridge Home by Padma Venkatraman

Viji has always taken care of Rukku, especially when they have to hide from their father in his drunken fury.  When finally their father strike sweet, autistic Rukku, and their mother does nothing to stop him, Viji knows it is time to leave. Viji takes her birthday money and buys a bus ticket for her and Rukku to a bustling city in India.  At first Viji struggles to figure out where they will sleep and what they will eat, but then they meet Muthi and Arul.  The two street boys take them into their pack and show them how they can find glass and metal in the junk yard to sell for a few rupees. Life is hard, but they rejoice in their freedom and the pride of making it on their own.  Then tragedy hits, and Viji has to decide whether to risk her new freedom, and her new friendships with the boys to get help for her sister.

When I saw the cover to this book I assumed it was a fantasy.  It isn't a fantasy but a story of a hard reality many children live every day.  The author grew up in the town that is the setting of the book and the descriptions of the stench and filth of the mounds of garbage are completely vivid and authentic.  Even though the book deals with difficult situations, Venkatraman dwells on the resiliency of the children, not their trials.  With the hope and energy of youth they get through tough spots by using their imaginations and relying on each other.  It is no wonder this book has received starred reviews in almost every major review journal.(2019, 194 p.)