Mira In the Present Tense

MIRA IN THE PRESENT TENSE by Sita Brahmachari. Whitman, September 2013.

For the most part, Mira can tolerate her noisy and chaotic family life. Especially when it comes to being with Nana Josie, her artistic grandmother. Like Josie, Mira has a talent for art. She is about to discover she also has a talent for writing. Her school has offered a before class visiting author program and Mira is one of the 4 students who signed up for the class. writing helps Mira find her voice both literally and figuratively. This is especially crucial as Mira's beloved Nana Josie enters a hospice to deal with the final time she has before cancer claims her. Brahmachari has penned an emotionally realistic book, never sinking into the maudlin or self-indulgent or even too self-reflective. Mira is a 12 year old with tween thoughts and feelings. As she deals with loss, she is also gaining a new friend, a boy friend, and confidence in her own abilities.