Flying in Colors

by Padma Prasad Reddeppa

Overview

Aunties tell nine-year-old Pavi that she's asking too many "big women" questions, but she's tired of grown-up secrets. How are babies born? And why do people die? A beautiful debut about family, tradition, and the healing that comes from finding the answers.

It's 1975, Tamil Nadu, South India, and nine-year-old Pavi is living a carefree life with her large intergenerational family. Every day is an adventure. Why not steal 233 mangoes from the neighbor's tree? Or make up grand stories that take her to Jupiter? If only there wasn't a sadness lingering over the family. You see, her uncle Selva died just five months after she was born.

Pavi may have been just a baby when Selva died, but she feels close to him, as if he's watching over her, helping her when she needs it. But she has so many questions about Selva's death. And why does anyone die when they do?

The grown-ups in Pavi's life are hiding something. They dismiss her questions. For instance, when Pavi and her cousins ask about babies, all anyone says is "Little women are asking big women questions." And when she asks about Selva, there are no answers either. Why is talking about life and death so hard? Pavi is tired of grown-up secrets!

But what if those answers can hurt, or bad things happen? Can prayers and traditions really protect those we love? Pavi is determined to find out.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781643796758
Publisher:	Lee & Low Books
Publication date:	05/06/2025
Pages:	320
Product dimensions:	5.00(w) x 7.50(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	9 - 13 Years

About the Author

Padma Prasad Reddeppa was born in Chennai, India, and is a poet, writer and painter. Her Indian roots provide the material for her imagination. Several of her short stories have been published in various literary magazines in the US and in India. Padma has a postgraduate degree in English literature and was an English lecturer at Stella Maris College, Chennai, before she migrated to the US. Padma is based in Fairfax, Virginia, where she volunteers for the Fairfax Art League. Flying in Colors is her debut novel.

Editorial Reviews

* "This beautifully crafted, ­culturally rich story celebrates ­diversity and will resonate with middle grade readers. Pavi's journey encourages empathy and curiosity, making this an excellent addition to classroom and library collections." — School Library Journal, starred review

"From cousin squabbles to school drama to living with grief, Pavi's journey will still be relatable to many readers today. . . . Reddeppa seamlessly incorporates Tamil language and the ripple effects of colonialism into her debut." — Booklist

"A poignant, visceral story about superstition, unresolved grief, and the wounds they can inflict." — Kirkus Reviews

"The historical setting skillfully illustrates the tension between British and Indian cultures as well as colorism and the caste system, and how these variables impact Pavi's understanding of her family and herself. . . . A sizable, fully drawn cast includes empathetic renderings of mental health challenges and grief." — Publishers Weekly

From the Publisher

2025-02-15
The shadow of death looms over a girl’s life in this coming-of-age tale set in 1970s Chennai in Southern India.

Reddeppa’s debut follows an eventful year in Pavithra Ramachandran’s life as she negotiates the ups and downs of her intergenerational Tamil family. Beloved though Pavi is, her birth is always mentioned in the same breath as her maternal uncle Selva’s untimely death at 26, just a few months later. Pavi, who’s almost 9, feels a strong connection to Selva Uncle, and to Chanki, her paternal granduncle, who’s the black sheep of the family with a flair for storytelling. When a grieving relative lays the blame for Selva’s death on Pavi’s shoulders, saying that her birth came with a sign of a curse, Pavi’s actions set in motion a chain of events that lead to danger and unearth troubling family secrets. Strong-willed, impetuous Pavi is an intriguing character, though her words and actions sometimes feel much older than her years. The initially sunny narrative takes a dark turn and includes incidents with predatory men, threatened violence from an exorcist summoned to rid Pavi of her grief, and graphically described injuries resulting from her own rash actions. The plot sags in the second half but effectively tackles themes including unquestioning faith and the power of words to uplift or crush a child’s psyche.

A poignant, visceral story about superstition, unresolved grief, and the wounds they can inflict. (family trees, Tamil culture note, author’s note, glossary)(Fiction. 10-14)

Kirkus Reviews