RICKSHAW GIRL

Narrator Zehra Naqvi begins with the glossary of the Bengali words used in this audiobook. Listeners may want to return to these, but the story moves along fine without them. Naqvi engages listeners quickly with her portrayal of the sometimes-impulsive, always-caring 10-year-old Naima. Naqvi's accents and emotions convey the Bangladeshi girl's artistic talents, worries about her struggling family, and frustration with the gender-biased culture she lives in. When Naima disguises herself as a boy and attempts to help her father, she crashes his new rickshaw, adding to the family's difficulties. Determined to turn around the situation, Naima confronts traditional roles and learns the power of her artistic gifts. Themes of poverty, the benefits of microloans, and the many facets of Bangladeshi culture create a depth that makes this a great family listen. S.W. © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine [Published: MARCH 2018]