Meera has captured the character of Meena in a way that gives a wonderful account of an Indian girl growing up in England. Many works have been written on the same theme, this one however stands apart. You can feel that the author herself has had or has been a witness to many similar experiences, which she describes in the book. Overall this was a fun read. I will also recommend the reader to see a movie called "Bhaji on the beach" for which Syal is the scriptwriter. I really thought hard and could not think of anything other than five stars.
I recommend that everyone should read "Anita and Me" by Meera Syal. This story, that of a young Indian girl growing up in a British town, is really a universal tale. Feeling the temptation to rebel against your parents, needing to be one of the "cool" kids, and struggling between what is right and wrong are all important things every child must go through. Meena, the main character of "Anita and Me", is no exception. Although she is Indian, she has many childhood experiences anyone could relate to. That is what makes this story so great. It points out that underneath our skin color, everyone is human. Unfortunately for Meena, not everyone in her town always feels that way. Meenas family is accepted by their British neighbors, but only when they act "British". Whenever they showed even the smallest aspects of their Indian culture, they were ignored, or even shunned. "Anita and Me" reminds us not to fall into a trap of prejudice as so many in Meenas town did. Meera Syal, the author of the story, challenges every reader to reassess what we consider "civilized" and to look beyond the color of someones skin to find their worth, but to look at their character.
Meena is the 9-year-old child of immigrants from India to a small English town called Tollington. She has decided to befriend a local tough schoolfriend named Anita, not that her parents like her very much. She wants to break away from her folks and make her own friends, yet is still proud of her Indian family and culture. Her town is a bit in disagreeance --- as long as they arent "too Indian" and try to assimilate, then they are all right. Anita has Indian friends separate from her "British" friend, including a girl gang led by Anita. Its a great snapshot of one girls year in the life, and it was both sad and mirthful. All girls of any age and culture will identify and appreciate this work.
