The Girl Who Played with Numbers – Shakuntala Devi (Dreamers) is a delightful and an inspiring book for children that explores the remarkable life of Shakuntala Devi, one of India’s greatest mathematicians, often referred to as the “Human Computer.”
The book begins by providing a brief account of JRD Tata’s early life and his journey to establish himself in the world. Jeh, as he was known during his childhood, had parents from different backgrounds – his mother was French and his father was Indian.
This book offers a glimpse into P.T. Usha’s childhood, the beginnings of her athletic journey, and the person who recognized and nurtured her talent.
Cyrus is a curious child, with questions about everything – the Why’s surround his family members and teachers. Not everyone is amused by his relentless questions, with some of his teachers sending him to the naughty corner and friends making fun of him, calling him “Cyrus the Whyrus”.
Lavanya Karthik has beautifully captured the life of young Protul. His desire to learn the tricks was so strong that he managed to impress the then greatest magician of Bengal – Ganapati Chakraborty to be his mentor and teacher. And under his expert guidance, Protul became P.C. Sorcar who took Indian magic to great heights.
I was amazed to see how appropriately the author has packed details about Mahasweta’s childhood, her dreams, struggles, the social stigmas and her empowerment and finding social justice through words in just a few carefully chosen words.