Doreen is looking forward to her 10th birthday, when she will reach double digits. She knows her Papa will get her something special for her birthday... but what?
Then, she is taken by surprise by the arrival of other members of the family. Overnight, life changes for everyone. Adjustments are made, routines change -- but Doreen feels she is the one who is the most deeply affected. Suddenly, she has no space to call her own. No time to spend with her friend Tess. No way to pursue her love of music. No fun, period.
In the months and years that follow, Doreen goes from a shy little girl into an attractive teenager. She disocvers -- and records -- many things about herself, her friends and her family as she tries to play it by ear while going from lows to highs and back again. What will her choices be?
Rao <cherbrag@gmail.com> is the author of this tween novel. She is based in Hyderabad. Cheryl Rao has written over 30 books for children, including adventures, strange stories, ‘tween’ tales, and picture books. Her books have been published by CBT, NBT, Mango, Tulika, Pratham, CUP, OUP, and Rupa. Impressive.
The Goan community in Hyderabad-Secunderabad is known to be small but vibrant; very little is said of them back home. Like other ex-pats in the diaspora, she too remembers of her Goa connect and is trying to keep it alive. One of her manuscripts deals with a story called 'Playing It By Ear'.
Doreen is looking forward to her tenth birthday but overnight her life changes. As you could have guessed, it features a home with a balcao, elders called mai and papa, and connections to Poona, Bombay, and the like. In a word, it's a story that could be set in diaspora Goa.
In a book edited by Sheela Jaywant, on people entering the writing profession, Charyl Rao has commented: "I didn't set out to be a children’s writer." She was a lecturer and worked in a bank. A son came into her family's life, and she had to tell him a lot of stories. "If he likes my stories," she recalls thinking, "why not try a larger audience?" So she sent her stories to children's magazines. And that was how her story began.
She has also remembered her family life: "There are stories everywhere. I was lucky that my mother had been a great storyteller and my father had lived a life of adventure and danger in the Forest Department and then the Police Service."
Her Army officer husband, a brother living in a farmhouse, all contributed to her stories. Together with her son and German shepherd providing inspiration.
Cheryl calls herself "Goan by birth, Hyderabadi by location, canine at heart" and self-describes as someone "who would like to stay frozen at 11-going-on-12 to continue to write for her age group". From stories to writing books that neo-learners of English can read. Writers with their roots in this part of the globe too can continue to have a big role to play.
Cheryl Rao Tween Novel 2025. Pp. 152. Rs 400. ISBN Ebook: 978-93-95795-22-7 ISBN Print 978-93-95795-88-3
