A review by iffer
The Not-So-Star-Spangled Life of Sunita Sen by Mitali Perkins
2.0
Perhaps it is merely because I loved the last book I read, Elijah of Buxton so much, but The Not-So-Star-Spangled Life of Sunita Sen did not arouse the type of churning emotions and thoughts I’ve come to associate with good novels. I did like it, but I did not feel that it was a must-read.
Although not of South Asian heritage, I, as a Southeast Asian American, feel that my upbringing shares much with Sunita’s, including family/community-centered values, crazy grandparent visits, the permanent smell of ethnic food cooking, a European American boy crush, and of course, the difficulty of reconciling mainstream American culture with that of your parents’ native country. However, for some reason, Mitali Perkins’s novel stirred resistance in me.
Although the novel should feel authentic to me because it has been written by an author who, like her main character, was born in India and grew up in California, Sunita Sen seemed, to me, similar to novels I read as a junior high girl, and resented, about 1.5 or 2nd generation children written by European Americans (several generations removed from their immigrating ancestors). I acknowledge that many stereotypes, especially of the 1.5-2 generation experience, are based on common experience/truth, but Perkins’s novel felt stereotypical to me insofar as being embarrassed by her family’s blatant displays of “Indian-ness,” fearing her family’s (non)acceptance of a white boy( )friend, desire to wear makeup, etc. A large reason that I felt that these topics were stereotypical is probably because Sunita Sen lacks the emotional and situational complexity that I’ve been craving since I was a little girl, which I think is a result of Perkins’s writing style and structure.
The novel has a standard, nearly palpable plot line; I could nearly see the line being drawn in my head of the rising action, climax, and denouement, with perhaps a few other blips. Furthermore, I felt that Perkins’s writing told us about the emotions and situations rather than conveying them in subtle ways. Because of these reasons, as well as because everything is wrapped up neatly at the end, Sunita Sen fails to communicate the complexity of cultural identity and family dynamics. To me, this novel primarily approached multicultural children’s literature with the message of affirming and accepting diversity, a positive message, but which, in conjunction with the emotional and situational simplicity may give the wrong message that true understanding of cultural differences and their impacts on past and present society may easily be achieved with the “‘tourist’s conception of multiculturalism’” (Hade qtd in Cai, p. 8). These are the primary reasons for which I would not recommend The Not-So-Star-Spangled Life of Sunita Sen generally.
Some might say that I am being too harsh on the novel, and I would agree in some respects, because the novel is supposed to be light-hearted, simple, and for middle school readers instead of a heavy work, which have an important place in children’s literature; children shouldn’t always be reading issue-laden, depressing books. However, I would argue that there are, or should be, novels out there that are lighter and deal with similar issues as Sunita Sen in a better-written novel, because, as we’ve seen in Elijah of Buxton, it is possible to deal with myriad issues but maintain a balance between seriousness and light-heartedness.
I do acknowledge that the existence of such a novel has the potential to positively impact many children struggling with bi- or multi-cultural identity, because children might be relieved that there is finally a novel showing someone “like me.” On the other hand, I look forward to the day after which we can pick and choose the best Indian-American experience books to read and share with others, rather than merely being grateful that one exists.
Although not of South Asian heritage, I, as a Southeast Asian American, feel that my upbringing shares much with Sunita’s, including family/community-centered values, crazy grandparent visits, the permanent smell of ethnic food cooking, a European American boy crush, and of course, the difficulty of reconciling mainstream American culture with that of your parents’ native country. However, for some reason, Mitali Perkins’s novel stirred resistance in me.
Although the novel should feel authentic to me because it has been written by an author who, like her main character, was born in India and grew up in California, Sunita Sen seemed, to me, similar to novels I read as a junior high girl, and resented, about 1.5 or 2nd generation children written by European Americans (several generations removed from their immigrating ancestors). I acknowledge that many stereotypes, especially of the 1.5-2 generation experience, are based on common experience/truth, but Perkins’s novel felt stereotypical to me insofar as being embarrassed by her family’s blatant displays of “Indian-ness,” fearing her family’s (non)acceptance of a white boy( )friend, desire to wear makeup, etc. A large reason that I felt that these topics were stereotypical is probably because Sunita Sen lacks the emotional and situational complexity that I’ve been craving since I was a little girl, which I think is a result of Perkins’s writing style and structure.
The novel has a standard, nearly palpable plot line; I could nearly see the line being drawn in my head of the rising action, climax, and denouement, with perhaps a few other blips. Furthermore, I felt that Perkins’s writing told us about the emotions and situations rather than conveying them in subtle ways. Because of these reasons, as well as because everything is wrapped up neatly at the end, Sunita Sen fails to communicate the complexity of cultural identity and family dynamics. To me, this novel primarily approached multicultural children’s literature with the message of affirming and accepting diversity, a positive message, but which, in conjunction with the emotional and situational simplicity may give the wrong message that true understanding of cultural differences and their impacts on past and present society may easily be achieved with the “‘tourist’s conception of multiculturalism’” (Hade qtd in Cai, p. 8). These are the primary reasons for which I would not recommend The Not-So-Star-Spangled Life of Sunita Sen generally.
Some might say that I am being too harsh on the novel, and I would agree in some respects, because the novel is supposed to be light-hearted, simple, and for middle school readers instead of a heavy work, which have an important place in children’s literature; children shouldn’t always be reading issue-laden, depressing books. However, I would argue that there are, or should be, novels out there that are lighter and deal with similar issues as Sunita Sen in a better-written novel, because, as we’ve seen in Elijah of Buxton, it is possible to deal with myriad issues but maintain a balance between seriousness and light-heartedness.
I do acknowledge that the existence of such a novel has the potential to positively impact many children struggling with bi- or multi-cultural identity, because children might be relieved that there is finally a novel showing someone “like me.” On the other hand, I look forward to the day after which we can pick and choose the best Indian-American experience books to read and share with others, rather than merely being grateful that one exists.