Reviews for All my noble dreams and then what happens
Publishers Weekly
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Set in India in the year 1921, two years after the events of Small Acts of Amazing Courage (2011), Whelan's sequel finds British-born Rosy having returned to her beloved India, the land she considers home, after an extended stay in England. The household-now expanded to include Rosy's maiden aunts, Ethyl and Louise-is bustling with preparations for a visit by the Prince of Wales. Rosy has promised to deliver a letter written by Mahatma Gandhi, an appeal to Great Britain to give India its freedom, and, once again, Rosy's sympathies with native Indians lead to trouble with her stuffy father, a British officer. Using charm, wit, and intelligence, Rosy manages to draw compassion from her father and other authority figures, and she even gets the prince to recognize the poverty and unfair practices blighting India. As in the previous book, Whelan brings to life the customs, fashions, and conflicts of the era and creates a cast of vivid characters who represent multiple political views. Her writing provides great insight into a nation vibrating with changing attitudes. Ages 9-12. Agent: Liza Pulitzer-Voges, Eden Street Literary. (Apr.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Kirkus
Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
In this sequel to Small Acts of Amazing Courage (2011), heroine Rosalind dances with the Prince of Wales during his 1921 visit to India and does her bit for Gandhi's independence movement. Growing up in colonial India, Rosalind isn't "what a well-bred English girl should be," to the distress of her very British father. Two years before, Rosalind and her friend Max barely avoided arrest for publically supporting Gandhi's movement to free India. Now they sympathize with his nonviolent strikes disrupting the country. When Rosalind's father is invited to festivities surrounding the Prince of Wales' visit to Calcutta, Max coaxes her to deliver an important letter from Gandhi to the prince. Months later, in London, Rosalind's chance encounter with King George V also affects Gandhi's cause. Whether saving an Indian girl from an arranged marriage or teaching Indian boys, Rosalind's loyalties lie with her adopted country. Though at first approaching India's struggle from a "White Man's Burden" perspective, Rosalind learns not to apply English values to India and its cultures. Whelan conveys the atmosphere of a critical period in India's history from the sympathetic, first-person perspective of an egalitarian heroine who acts on her principles. An entertaining, if fanciful look at colonial India in transition. (author's note, text of Gandhi's letter of 1920, glossary) (Historical fiction. 9-12)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Book list
From Booklist, Copyright © American Library Association. Used with permission.
The daughter of a British Civil Service commissioner in 1920s India, 17-year-old Rosalind is torn between her proper English upbringing and her sympathies for the Indian people. Does a visit from the Prince of Wales represent an opportunity to make her family proud or the chance to deliver a politically charged message? In this sequel to Small Acts of Amazing Courage (2011), Whelan seamlessly weaves history and culture into a novel that stands on its own. Occasionally the plot strains credibility, but readers captivated by the characters, the setting, and the involving first-person narrative will be longing for the story to continue.--Phelan, Carolyn Copyright 2010 Booklist
School Library Journal
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Gr 6-10-In this sequel to Small Acts of Amazing Courage (S & S, 2011), Whelan further develops Rosalind James's character and conscience. In 1921 British India, Rosy continues to find her voice as she grows in independence. She has spent her entire life in India, untraditionally making friends with Indians from different castes. She grows more sympathetic and outspoken regarding the complete dominance the British exert over the people. As a Gandhi supporter, she speaks out against her father, who insists that the country is not ready for independence. Through his military connections, Rosy meets the Prince of Wales on his tour of the country. With a little daring, she enables him to experience everyday India. After the adventure, he remembers Rosalind and sends an invitation to be presented to the king and queen of the British Empire. Could Rosalind be so bold as to bring the message of India's independence to the British sovereign? The character development and setting description are superb. Whelan succeeds in bringing a fascinating time period to life, allowing readers to experience the lavish luxury of the ruling British and the squalid poverty of average Indians. It is slightly contrived that Rosy would meet both prince and king in the casual way she does, but it serves the story well. The parallel between the young woman exerting her independence and India beginning to demand hers is a unifying element. This worthy sequel should enjoy wide readership where historical fiction is popular.-Lisa Crandall, formerly at the Capital Area District Library, Holt, MI (c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Horn Book
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Two years after the events of Small Acts of Amazing Courage, Rosalind, still devoted to Gandhi's movement for Indian independence despite her British officer father's staunch disapproval, is in a position to make a difference when the Prince of Wales visits. Strong-willed Rosy is a sympathetic protagonist, and Whelan evokes 1920s India--its scenery, the culture, political and social tensions--beautifully. Glos. (c) Copyright 2013. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
