Suma Subramaniam’s recently published My Name is as Long as a River resonated with me immediately because…well, I too have a long last name.
Kaveri is a young girl with a long name – Kaveri Thanjavur Jayalakshmi Ganesan. She would prefer to be called Kav because she believes her full name is difficult to read and write. She tells her Paati that there is nothing special about her name. Paati gently explains the meaning of Kaveri, and how it is the name of the ancient river that flows through Southern India. When Kaveri goes on a trip with her family to the interior regions of South India for the Kaveri Pushkaram festival, Paati teaches her the meaning of each of her names, the origins, and the rich lineage of her family’s history.
Subramaniam’s writing is simple, endearing, and lyrical.“My family doesn’t think my name is uncommon or unusual. They pronounce every syllable like a musical beat.”
The deliberate fragmentation of the indigenous/Tamil words by Subramaniam aids in phonetically showcasing their pronunciation, complemented by the corresponding Tamil script below the English words. Side note. Tamil is one of the oldest, classical languages of the world, dating back over 2000 years, and the primary language of people in the state of Tamil Nadu in Southern India. While it originated in India, it is also spoken in Sri Lanka, Malaysia, and Singapore which have significant Tamil communities.
Illustrations play a huge role in bringing an author’s words to life and Tara Anand’s beautiful, colorful artwork does a marvelous job. Anand infuses the pages with the vibrant colors of South India, in the jewel-toned colors of the women’s saris with their sparkling gold embroidered borders, the dazzling jewelry, and the flowers in their hair. I could almost smell the sweet, intoxicating fragrance of the jasmine in Paati’s hair, and the delicious wet mud on the banks of the Kaveri, a sensory memory that took me back to my childhood.
The book’s glossary provides phonetic pronunciations for the Tamil/indigenous words. Subramaniam also provides a Getting Names Right page, an excellent (and critical) tool kit for educators, parents, and the children who are reading/ being read the book. It triggered a memory of when my son was six years old and his sports coach said, “I will just call you Bob!” because my son’s name (short, phonetically simple) was too difficult to pronounce. I wish we had had this book to help us teach others to pronounce names correctly when they are different from what one is used to. Because at that moment, my son felt unseen and invisible, his identity erased by the coach’s dismissive actions!
My Name is as Long as a River is a thoughtful read where Subramaniam opens space for interventions that foster understanding, inclusivity, learning about our differences, and celebrating them. The book and the author encourage us to take pride in our roots and cultural heritage.
Ages 4-8
My Name is as Long as a River is published by Penguin Workshop, an imprint of Random House, New York.
