Published: 2022
Author: Varsha Bajaj
Genres: Middle Grade, Realistic Fiction, Fiction, India, Contemporary, Family, Young Adult, Social Justice
Audience (Grade Levels): Grades 4-8
Number of Stars: 5-Stars
Goodreads Link: Thirst
Triggers: Socioeconomic exploitation, theft, intimidation/threats by organized crime (water mafia)
Review By: Sue Kowalski
Publisher’s Summary:
The riveting story of a heroic girl who fights for her belief that water should be for everyone.
Minni lives in the poorest part of Mumbai, where access to water is limited to a few hours a day and the communal taps have long lines. Lately, though, even that access is threatened by severe water shortages and thieves who are stealing this precious commodity—an act that Minni accidentally witnesses one night. Meanwhile, in the high-rise building where she just started to work, she discovers that water streams out of every faucet and there’s even a rooftop swimming pool. What Minni also discovers there is one of the water mafia bosses. Now she must decide whether to expose him and risk her job and maybe her life. How did something as simple as access to water get so complicated?
Review:
Full disclosure, I was drawn to the book by the cover. After that initial glance, I knew I found a powerful one, for sure. It’s a quick read packed in a smaller size book and that alone sometimes makes a connection. Once inside a reader will be immersed in another culture, another country, and in a daily battle unknown to most Americans. The issue of access to necessary resources, in this book its water, for all is a powerful theme here. Any living in poverty know that easy access to ALL resources is not a given. Readers will be inspired by Minni’s willingness to stand up, take a chance, confront what is wrong, and do something about it. Pairs nicely with any books about teens who are social activists (Hoot, Maybe He Just Likes You, Dress Coded) and any stories of experiences told through the authentic voice of a student from another culture.
Classroom & Curricular Connections:
- Social Studies / Global Geography (Resource Distribution & Wealth Inequality): This novel is an exceptional tool for exploring global wealth disparity, urban infrastructure, and resource scarcity. Using Minni’s daily life in Mumbai, educators can contrast the severe water limitations of the slums with the lavish excess of the nearby high-rises, prompting structural discussions about systemic poverty and municipal planning.
- Science / Environmental Studies (The Global Water Crisis): The story integrates seamlessly into environmental science units focusing on freshwater sustainability. Teachers can use the plot’s depiction of a “water mafia” and severe shortages to investigate real-world water privatization, environmental ethics, conservation, and climate change impacts on developing nations.
- Social-Emotional Learning / Global Read Aloud (Social Activism & Moral Courage): Serving as a previous Global Read Aloud selection, this text provides a fantastic anchor for SEL themes regarding civic responsibility. Students can evaluate Minni’s ethical dilemma when deciding to confront systemic corruption, fostering critical dialogue about bravery, community advocacy, and standing up against social injustice.
- Social Activism Literature Pairing Matrix: Inspired by the reviewer’s recommendation to pair this text with books like Hoot and Dress Coded, lead a middle school literature circle project. Students will read Thirst alongside another teen-led activism novel, creating a comparative digital matrix or presentation that examines how different young protagonists find their authentic voices to challenge corruption in their respective cultures.
Diversity & Representation :
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Thirst provides essential, authentic representation by amplifying a contemporary South Asian voice and placing an insightful Indian girl at the absolute helm of a global environmental justice narrative. By depicting the vibrant community spirit, family structures, and everyday struggles within Mumbai’s underrepresented low-income populations without leaning into trauma-porn, Varsha Bajaj delivers a nuanced, empathetic, and eye-opening window into the lived experiences of the global diaspora.
Readalikes:
- Amal Unbound by Aisha Saeed
- A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park
- The Bridge Home by Padma Venkatraman
