Varsha Bajaj

Minni lives in a part of Mumbai that some would call a slum, but she is happy with her family, her neighbors, and her best friend Faiza, who is Muslim. Until Minni, Faiza, Minni's older brother Sanjay, and one of his friends see people stealing water, and are seen. The boys are sent out of the city for their safety, and not long after, Minni's mother leaves to stay with her sister, hoping to rest and recover from an illness (later identified as hepatitis A).

Minni takes on all of her mother's work: a job cleaning for a rich family, as well as doing all their own family's laundry, cooking, and of course, fetching and boiling the water from taps that sometimes gush but more often trickle. At the same time, she's studying for the exam to pass seventh grade and move up to eighth, and she wins a scholarship to a computer class that meets on weekends. Minni struggles to manage it all, but support from her community keeps her afloat, and in the end, she and Faiza (and community dog Moti) assist the police in catching some of the water thieves.

A short but immersive novel. An author's note gives some more information about access to clean water worldwide.

Quotes

Ma talks tough when she is angry and hopeless. (34)

Is this growing up? Learning how dangerous the whole world can be? Learning that not everyone follows the rules. That some people don't care if they hurt others. That they only care about themselves and making a profit. (42)

"Remember - trouble can take a minute to get into and a lifetime to get out of." (Sanjay to Minni, 63)

Money, not prayers, makes the water flow. (73)

Numbers, they say, don't lie.
But do they always add up? (132)

...the story reminds me that in an unequal battle, the less powerful person can use their wits to find a way. (141)

When a fear is too terrifying, I realize, we are scared to give it words, as if that will make it all too real. But the anxiety doesn't go away. It's like a weed that continues to grow, sprout, and choke the plant. (161)

"You know, you and me, we're both thirsty for more." (Sanjay to Minni, 170)… (more)

This book does a great job of bringing the realities of global poverty and lack of access to clean water home to its readers. Set in Mumbai, Minni is excelling at school, but a couple of things go wrong and this sends her family into a bit of a tailspin. I love how much this book centers community supporting and caring for its members. I love how Minni and Faiza have to be creative to get their voices heard and are seemingly successful at it. I loved how immersive the book is and how great it is at showing that everyone has dreams, no matter where they are in the moment. Well done.… (more)