Dreamers Series: The Girl Who Played with Numbers: Shakuntala Devi by Lavanya Karthik
My take on the book:
Shakuntala Devi, known worldwide as the human computer, for her brilliance in solving complex mathematical problems, was a curious girl in her childhood. The Girl Who Played with Numbers traces her journey from the age of three when she first garnered interest in numbers. Other kids immersed in games per their age while Shakuntala Devi was mesmerized by numbers.
Her extraordinary memory coupled with love for numbers meant any sort of numerical problem could be solved instantly. The world was fascinated by her talent while numbers were a game for her. However, she missed the ‘normal’ life other kids had, the things they could relish.
The author narrates with extremely beautiful illustrations Shakuntala Devi’s story from age of three to eleven and into adulthood. The author also highlights the negative impact of such unprecedented fame, the loneliness and empty feeling which meant Shakuntala Devi took refuse in numbers only. The author’s take of looking at numbers from a different lens is interesting.
The book is a short one that provides a concise look at the life of a talent that made our country proud, giving an insight into her life as a kid and the other side of fame. I wish there was more of her life covered in the book as I did not want it to end. The book will be a good read for kids, especially for those who are scared of numbers and mathematics.
My rating:
3.5/5.