Threads of Peace

July 1, 2021
Two men, separated by oceans and born 60 years apart, changed the courses of their respective countries' histories. The threads of the lives of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. are intricately woven together and continue to hold relevance today; even though they never met, Gandhi was well aware of racial inequality in the U.S., and King was deeply influenced by Gandhi's philosophy of nonviolence. The book begins with Gandhi's life, followed by King's, tracing each man's story from birth to assassination. Details about their early years and very human struggles round out the portraits of their lives. Krishnaswami also gives readers context about their assassins, Nathuram Vinayak Godse and James Earl Ray, humanizing them as well. This in-depth look at the modern histories of India and America with a focus on their most well-known civil rights leaders concludes by drawing explicit comparisons to present-day struggles to bring their visions of justice and equality to fruition in both countries. Ample photographs help readers picture the individuals and their times, and text boxes provide background information, such as about India's caste system and the Vietnam War. The book's attractive design, lucid text, and carefully chosen details combine to create an inviting and original treatment of its subjects. History has been carefully intertwined with the present in this engaging and reflective book. (author's note, timeline, glossary, bibliography, photo credits, sources, index) (Nonfiction. 9-14)

COPYRIGHT(2021) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

August 1, 2021
Grades 5-8 *Starred Review* While it's not difficult to find individual biographies of Mohandas Gandhi or Martin Luther King, Jr, this book offers a rarer look at their connected paths. Krishnaswami's comprehensive yet accessible text, complemented by intriguing, lesser-known facts, traces the life of each man, from his formative years to his rise as an influential leader to the untimely assassinations that cut both lives short. The accounts are nuanced, describing both Gandhi and King's failures and setbacks as well as their strengths and accomplishments, all with the hope for freedom, equality, and peace. In Gandhi's life story, the author notes the development of his spinning and weaving program to promote self-sufficiency in India. This act becomes symbolic throughout the book as Krishnaswami shows how Gandhi's nonviolent methods influenced and became woven into King's own tenets of nonviolence and the American civil rights movement. Following the individual biographies is a section that reinforces the goals of these kindred spirits and considers how their "threads of peace movements" can continue to be spun amidst today's challenges, such as white supremacy, voting restrictions, and the COVID-19 pandemic. Adding more context to the history and concepts are a plethora of short sidebars and period photographs, time lines of each leader, and a glossary. A reflective presentation that will inspire young peacemakers.

COPYRIGHT(2021) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

October 1, 2021

Gr 7-10-While Martin Luther King, Jr.'s adoption of the strategy of nonviolence for the civil rights movement had its roots in India, few are aware of the exchange of philosophies between Mohandas Gandhi and Black activist leadership beginning in the 1920s. The volume begins with key moments of discrimination experienced by King on a bus at the age of 15 and Gandhi on a train in South Africa, and progresses into nine chapters covering Gandhi's life and work and 14 on King, with a few concluding chapters reinforcing themes and discussing their modern impact. Captioned photographs, pull quotes, vocabulary definitions, and sidebars pepper the text, offering students insights in an attractive format. While the work occasionally struggles to condense complex Indian politics into a few sentences, the largely narrative text benefits from key quotes that are meticulously sourced in the page-by-page notes in the back matter. Krishnaswami also points out the contradictory philosophies or opinions of the two leaders' contemporaries. An author's note, parallel time lines, and a comprehensive glossary, as well an extensive bibliography and index also provide researchers with wonderful starting points. VERDICT An in-depth and well-researched volume that complements existing YA biographies on these two individuals by forging a little-known connection between American Black activism and the Indian nonviolent movement.-Courtney Lewis, St. Catherine's Sch., Richmond, VA

Copyright 2021 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.