Artichoke Hearts

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On one hand this is a book about death. Author Sita Brahmachari has created an honest portrayal of a family preparing for the death of a loved one. Because the reader is made aware early on that Nana Josie is dying and will die by the end of the book, her death is less traumatic. Kids with questions about death (or are grieving themselves) will get a lot out of this book, including how hospices work, the different ways people deal with death, and how to celebrate a life. This being said, readers who are just looking for a good story will be equally satisfied. The book is now shared across the generations and speaks to readers in this changed world with even more resonance. Artichoke Hearts is the first of the Mira Levenson trilogy followed by Jasmine Skies and Tender Earth. The emotional heart of the novel lends itself to a powerful theatrical adaptation.

This R and D phase is funded by Arts Council England & Wandsworth Borough Council and culminates in a sharing for school audiences of the work-in-progress, with a talk by Sita and Sudha at Wimbledon Theatre. This event is hosted by Wimbledon Bookfest.In a way this book is about death but I think it would be more accurate to say that it is about life. When Mira's grandmother is dying she learns a lot about Nana Josie's life and catches a glimpse of the whole person she is, not just the part Mira knows of her. Nana Josie's way of seeing life is not simple, but, in an extraordinary way, it seems to make a kind of joy seep through the book even when the themes are very sad.

It’s hard to say exactly what it is that makes me hate school so much. It starts the moment I wake up and realize that I have to step into my bottle-green uniform. That’s when it seeps away, what little confidence I have. On with the shirt . . . I’m slipping away . . . the pinafore to keep me in my place . . . and now the tie . . . to knot tight the hard lump of swallowed words swelling my throat. The day drags on . . . hour after hour until 3.30 p.m. Artichoke Hearts Winner of the Waterstones Children's Book Award 2011. Longlisted for the Carnegie Medal 2012

But he has a sense of vulnerability about him, especially when you learn more about him and his history. I liked to imagine that Jide is the mysterious loner boy in all these YA books only five years earlier. (Jide won’t become one of them though… I have faith he’ll see the light and remain awesome) . He’s a cheeky scamp who hides his intelligence and goofs around in class because it’s, like, totally lame to be clever in school, right? No, I’m not. I think it’s because she’s not frightened and she’s got everyone around her who loves her.” It’s Jidé with an accent – not Jeed like speed – you say the e in Jidé like the e in Pelé . . . you get me?’

Actually there’s hardly anything to clear up, but teachers always do that when they want a private word with you. As the book went on I liked Mira more and more. She was very down to earth, especially with what her character was going through, and her thoughts about her experiences were something every reader should relate to in some way. I loved how realistic the character's reactions to everything were - there were no huge breakdowns and 'how will I live after this' kind of attitude, it was all reasonable reactions that would happen to everyone. In a way, that made it all the more emotional.

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I like the modern sun, because the sun is so old, but in a way it’s always new. Every day there’s a sunset and a sunrise . . . Every day you wake up, it’s new. I saw that exhibition at the Tate Modern.’ For me personally, there was also a definite element of spirituality to this book. I do not know whether or not it was intended or whether it would strike other people in the same way, but as I read this book I found myself reading into some of the characters, a sort of other-worldliness which at times Mira herself does wonder about. But at the same time they appear as very real and very human and I think that is partly what this book is about. Muuuuum, Laila’s lobbed porridge at me again. It’s splatted all over me,’ shrieks Krish as Mum spins on her heels, tea towel whirling. Millie, who only has one very sensible older sister, stares at the massacre of our breakfast table. Now Laila turns her widest gurgly grin on Millie, as if she’s done something to be truly proud of. I was really struggling to find a song for this one… and I’m still not a hundred per cent I’ve made the right choice. (There was part of me that wanted to choose a poem instead because I was feeling CRAZY.) Knowing that her Nana Josie is dying, Mira has quite a lot to deal with to begin with. Being 12, she has hormones all over the place, crushes on boys (or one boy in this case) and is trying to find the confidence to be who she really is around everyone else. I really enjoyed the way that Mira expressed herself in her diary and lets the reader deep into her life. Her interactions with family and friends was entertaining but also gives a look into different family dynamics and how people cope with an ill relative. I loved Nana Josie. Even though she knew she was dying, she wanted to make the most of the last of her days. She wasn’t about to let anyone tell her no when she wanted to do something and had such a strong personality. It was also good to be able to see how she acted around other people, especially family members who knew how ill she was. I wasn’t expecting this to be a coming of age story but as well as that, Artichoke Hearts is sad, funny and heart-warming all at the same time.