Forward Me Back to You by Mitali Perkins
Sometimes you have to go back to the past to move forward to the future.
 | Kat, skilled in the art of Brazilian jujitsu, is brutally assaulted in her school’s stairwell by a popular member of the basketball team. She escapes, but the incident has scarred her, leaving her wary of men and emotionally shattered. When she reports the assault, her attacker pleads a convincing defense, denying her accusation. School becomes unbearable due to the constant presence of her assailant as well as the questioning looks and snide remarks from fellow students. A family friend arranges for her to leave her California home and live with an understanding friend in Boston. Robin, the adopted son of wealthy, well-connected Boston parents, is completing his high school senior year. His father plans his life trajectory beginning with a college education. Robin feels unsure and unsettled, with questions regarding his birth and subsequent adoption. Guess everyone has a backstory. |
Kat and Robin meet at a Boston church youth group. They are invited to spend the summer in Kolkata. working with an organization that fights human trafficking and rescues young children. Both teens have their own reasons for deciding to go to Kolkata. Through alternating voices, Kat and Robin share their hopes for this summer of service in India.
How much of himself would remain if he could press REWIND and start life again? |
Robin was born in Kolkata and longs to meet his birth mother and understand his history. Kat is struggling to overcome a traumatic assault. She reasons that teaching young girls to defend themselves will help heal her anguish and calm her fears. Interestingly, neither accomplishes his/her stated purpose for traveling to Kolkata. However, each finds the summer in India to be a turning point in their lives.
Perkins builds the story to a heart-pounding, potentially terrifying climax that will keep readers swiftly turning pages. The conclusion is open-ended, bittersweet yet satisfying.
This search for identity and recovery is a sweeping saga that explores the serious problem of international human trafficking. Gripping storytelling, eye-opening adventure in a faraway city, Forward Me Back to You packs an emotional gut punch that lingers long after the final page. A story not to be missed.
Piece of Cake
When people I love are out of reach, I offer some kindness to another that I can’t give my dear ones. It brings peace to me.
 | There is a lovely scene where the Asha House residents surprise one of the volunteers with a birthday cake. In turn, each girl feeds the honoree a piece of cake, while telling her something they admire about her. I like this tradition and will continue it by sharing some virtual bites of cake with Ms. Perkins. |
- Superheroes.There are numerous references to superheroes. Both Robin and Kat are superhero movie afficianados and often reference specific heroes. Kat describes Robin's quest as “Kal-El's search for the planet Krypton." Both Robin and Kat develop qualities (superpowers) that they never would have dreamed possible.
Too many villains. Not enough heroes. The real world’s nothing like the movies. |
- Animal names. Kat works at the local zoo and is conversant in animal taxinomany. She secretly refers to individuals by a specific animal species. The dignified Mrs. Vee is Ibis. Host of the home where she initially stays is Hyena man. Robin is Bird Boy. Her attacker is a wolf.
- Kolkata. Perkins paints vivid pictures of life in this fascinating city, from the grandeur of Victoria Memorial and the noble work at Mother House to the seamy underbelly of the city where innocent young girls are captured and exploited. Urban sights and sounds are everywhere: rickshaws, drenching rain showers, and cardamom-spiced chai.
A Personal Perspective
 | “People who are adoptive parents know that they aren’t a hero or a villain. They are just a parent.” Mitali Perkins, mother of adopted twin brothers, shares her perspective on adoption and the adoption triad: birth mother, child, and adoptive parents. Read her Huffpost opinion piece and her recent interview with Lakshmi Gandhi in an NBC news report. |
Uncorrected copy provided by publisher.
Pub date: April 2, 2019 Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR) ISBN: 978-1426333040
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