Sita's Ramayana
Written by Samhita Arni
Illustrated by Moyna Chitrakar
Published by Groundwood Books, 2011
Review
Action. Adventure. Love. Betrayal. Magic. The graphic novel Sita's Ramayana is a fast-paced retelling of the Ramayana from Sita's perspective. Never having read the Ramayana, seeing T heavy into graphic novels, and being on a fem lit kick myself, how could I pass up the opportunity to read this with T? I am so glad I didn't. Sita's Ramayana is an awesome book and Sita is a powerhouse. We shared the reading, each picking different characters to voice, and flew threw in just a few sittings. (I'm not convinced that it was the smoothest way of reading for us, though. If you try it, let me know how it goes.)
One of the fun aspects of the book is that there are multiple frames - Sita tells the forest of her kidnapping and imprisonment, during which a guard narrated events transpiring outside the prison that involved further second-hand information. It was entertaining to step back and count the layers of stories! The result of all these layers is that the reader is wrapped up in Sita's story. T and I were right there in the garden prison with her, hoping to find out if her husband is coming to rescue her, wondering if the guard can explain all the commotion, holding our breaths to learn if her captor's army was defeated. And I haven't even mentioned the art yet! Just look at that cover - it only gets better as you go on! These bold prints are most assuredly to my taste.
Sita's Ramayana is a rich combination of text and image, which craft an enveloping, compelling tale for today's young readers.
Note: A review copy was provided upon request for the purpose of this honest review. All thoughts are our own.
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