‘My Name is Cinnamon’ by Vikas Prakash Joshi is a novel that revolves around a boy who tries to find his roots and identity within the world. This is a compelling story with fully realised settings and people will be stuck in them for a very long time. The author of the book, Vikas Prakash Joshi does this with his perceptive observations, rich descriptions, and genuine voice. The novel is primarily about embracing who you are and discovering your own tribe. ‘My Name is Cinnamon’ is a distinctive and unforgettable book title. It has meaning for the characters and the plot. The author struggled to pronounce the word ‘cinnamon’ when he was younger. Thus, he said Cimmanum, Cimmanon, Cinnamom, and so forth. He gave the protagonist of his book the nickname ‘Cinnamon’ when he was writing it. In addition, one of the boy’s parents and his preferred flavour is cinnamon and therefore it undoubtedly has significance. Hence, he included his own experience in the story as an experience of the main character, Cinnamon.

Based in Pune, India, Vikas Prakash Joshi is an accomplished writer, editor, translator, podcaster, public speaker, novelist, hobbyist chef, and sporadic journalist. After being published, his debut children’s book, ‘My Name is Cinnamon’ garnered praise from readers worldwide and was supported by numerous renowned Indian authors receiving seven publication offers. The novel has also been acquired by Mumbai-based production company Story Ink for a film adaptation. The renowned and multi-award-winning children’s book illustrator Niloufar Wadia created the illustrations in this book. The work has already been recognised five times. It was longlisted and shortlisted for the Valley of Words Awards for Young Adult Fiction in 2023; it was recognised five times earlier with the A3F Literary Award for Fiction 2023; the Asian Literary Society Award for Best Debut Fiction; the Asian Literary Society Certificate of Excellence in Fiction; and it was recognised five times overall with this list of honours. It was also picked out of sixty books written by Indian authors for young readers and children by the Beyond the Box organisation, a literary association with headquarters in Hyderabad.

A few challenging subjects that are seldom addressed in children’s and young adult literature are covered in this book. The author has decided to include the book since one of the greatest methods to portray challenging subjects in fiction is through children’s literature in particular. Despite his best efforts, Vikas Prakash Joshi addresses these subjects with compassion and sensitivity. The book was difficult to write since it combined references to many locations while blending together two distinct concepts: adoption and Usher syndrome, as well as three geographically and culturally distinct regions, Pune, Kolkata and Nandurbar. The story revolves around India and its vivid culture including different languages, food and clothing of people. This work of fiction demonstrates how the author developed the entire storyline, how well he imagined the thoughts of an adopted child, how vividly he portrayed Pune, and how the reader will be able to relate the story to their own lives. With a highly detailed story of a youngster searching for his identity and place in society, ‘My Name is Cinnamon’ is a captivating chronicle and an ambitious project of extraordinary complexity. The main character of the novel, Roshan Rishikesh Paranjape, nicknamed as ‘Cinnamon’, meets new people, tries a new food and embarks on new experiences while learning a great deal about the world and himself at every step along the way. The book is heartwarming and humorous, but it also addresses some serious subjects that are not often included in children’s and young adult books. It is an incredibly touching monument to the strength of hope, selflessness, and love, as well as the never-ending need to know about oneself and the tug of family ties. Joshi creates a compelling story with fully realised settings and people that will stick with each other for a very long time. He does this with his perceptive observations and genuine descriptions while making the reader imagine the situations that happen throughout the novel. And the illustrations included in the book, further helps the reader to create a powerful imagination about the story and real human emotions that delves

around the characters throughout the fiction

Being an adopted child, Cinnamon occasionally wonders the real reason for his birth parents to leave him for adoption. To get answers to his enquiries, he sets out on a quest to locate his birth parents. People have occasionally informed him that his parents adopted him solely to receive his unpaid assistance. And finally, his parents set up a meeting with him and his biological parents because of the enquiries that he made all the time. The Usher syndrome of Cinnamon was a behind reason for Maa and Baba to take him to visit his biological mother, Aditi Gavit, because he might lose his hearing and vision with time due to the disease and he is unaware of this dark reality. Apart from the protagonist, characters like the parents of Cinnamon, Maa and Baba, and his birth mother, Aditi Aai, from different places and cultures, support the development of the main protagonist of the novel, Cinnamon, to see through the reality of the world. Main themes like adoption, Usher syndrome, religion and culture are colourfully brought out by each character in the novel making the reader more attached to the story.

The novel’s plot is built through the use of third-person narration, which the author discusses while talking about his writing process and how he created such a fully detailed narrative. The plot has taken a distinct structure as he reworked the novel by creating several drafts to convert it into a readable state. Through his words, Vikas Prakash Joshi has influenced the reader to even change their thoughts and behaviour towards an individual perspective. He was crucial in helping people express themselves creatively and holistically so they could comprehend, evaluate, accept and reject life’s facts. Including humour to balance the themes conveyed in the novel, was a very successful attempt. According to the author, humour is essential to every book as it enhances rather than detracts the reader from core ideas and themes conveyed in a book. Additionally, the author has included a unique glossary of terms relating to their vivid cultures to emphasize the authentic nature and uniqueness of Indian culture, by referring to various kinds of food, clothes that people wear, and the way of greeting that differ from culture to culture and state to state in India.

‘My Name is Cinnamon’ makes the reader connect with the plot while piping up their curiosity. The reader feels more attached to the novel as the reading progresses. It allows the readers to be in the shoes of an adopted child. The author demonstrates his ordinary skill by providing minute details of Cinnamon’s life, leaving no room for interpretation when it comes to the feelings and emotions of the character. This can be considered as a memoir of Cinnamon as it portrays his journey to meet his real parents while residing with his adopted parents. 

Dario Sorgato, ‘This is what a good book does. It takes you into a different world, a new world, where the senses are so stimulated that it does not matter how much you can hear or see, as it is all within your heart and mind.’

By Shashimali De Silva