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{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2019}}
{{Use Indian English|date=April 2019}}
{{Infobox book
| name = Small Acts of Freedom
| image = File:Small Acts of Freedom.jpg
| caption = First edition
| author = [[Gurmehar Kaur]]
| translator =
| language = [[English language|English]]
| country = India
| genre = Memoir
| publisher = [[Penguin Random House]]
| release_date = 2018
| media_type = Print ([[paperback]], [[Hardcover|hardback]])
| pages = 234
| isbn = 9780143442318
}}

'''''Small Acts of Freedom''''' is a 2018 Indian memoir written by activist [[Gurmehar Kaur]] and released by [[Penguin Random House]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://scroll.in/article/868143/just-by-being-this-person-very-loudly-i-am-breaking-down-hierarchies-gurmehar-kaur|title=‘Just by being this person very loudly, I am breaking down hierarchies’: Gurmehar Kaur|last=Bahuguna|first=Urvashi|publisher=Scroll.in|date=13 February 2018|accessdate=4 April 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/books/features/gurmehar-kaurs-small-acts-of-freedom-to-be-published-soon/articleshow/58750986.cms|title=Gurmehar Kaur’s ‘Small Acts of Freedom’ to be published soon|work=The Times of India|date=23 May 2017|accessdate=4 April 2019}}</ref> It tells the story of Kaur whose father had martyred during the [[Kargil War]], and the story of three generations of women in her family including her grandmother Amarjeet, her mother Raji, and Kaur herself.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youthkiawaaz.com/2018/04/big-lessons-i-learnt-from-small-acts-of-freedom/|title=Big Lessons I Learnt From ‘Small Acts Of Freedom’|last=Singh|first=Manvi|publisher=Youth ki Awaaz|accessdate=4 April 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://elle.in/culture/gurmehar-kaur-anti-national/|title=Gurmehar Kaur doesn’t care if you think she’s anti-national|last=Bhandara|first=Neville|publisher=[[Elle (India)]]|date=8 February 2018|accessdate=4 April 2019}}</ref> Kaur wrote the books during her final year of college.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.livemint.com/Leisure/J1AwtI5cSXQINAf7pi6oAN/Gurmehar-Kaurs-act-of-freedom.html|title=Gurmehar Kaur’s act of freedom|last=Badhwar|first=Natasha|work=Mint|date=5 January 2018|accessdate=4 April 2019}}</ref>

==Reception==
Radhika Santhanam of ''[[The Hindu]]'' wrote: "It’s a speedy read. The language is simple and straightforward and the writing comes from the heart."<ref>{{cite news|title=Small Acts of Freedom review: Memories and reality|url=https://www.thehindu.com/books/books-reviews/small-acts-of-freedom-review-memories-and-reality/article22480341.ece|last=Santhanam|first=Radhika|work=The Hindu|date=20 January 2018|accessdate=4 April 2019}}</ref> Taruni Kumar of [[Firstpost]] wrote: "Kaur’s story-telling is simple but taps into a rich vein of emotionality."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.firstpost.com/living/in-small-acts-of-freedom-gurmehar-kaur-poignantly-weaves-together-stories-of-her-family-identity-4310197.html|title=In Small Acts of Freedom, Gurmehar Kaur poignantly weaves together stories of her family, identity|last=Kumar|first=Taruni|publisher=Firstpost|date=24 January 2018|accessdate=4 April 2019}}</ref> Rekha Dixit of ''[[The Week (Indian magazine)|The Week]]'' felt that the book is "written without melodrama, stripped of flourish." She however, felt that some parts were pretentious.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theweek.in/review/books/2018/03/02/small-acts-of-freedom-gurmehar-kaur.html|title=Inner Kaur|last=Dixit|first=Rekha|work=The Week|date=11 March 2018|accessdate=4 April 2019}}</ref> A review carried by ''[[The Free Press Journal]]'' said, "A touching story is one that lingers with you long after you have read it and the book has found a place on the shelf."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.freepressjournal.in/weekend/small-acts-of-freedom-by-gurmehar-kaur/1288956|title=Small Acts of Freedom by Gurmehar Kaur: Review|work=The Free Press Journal|date=3 June 2018|accessdate=4 April 2019}}</ref>

Adrija Bose of [[CNN-News18]] called it "poignant and leaves you with a lump in your throat once in a while." Further noting that Kaur "manages to beautifully weave together the stories of mothers, wives and daughters of the men in the armed forces."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.news18.com/news/buzz/gurmehar-kaurs-book-tells-us-the-story-of-three-generations-of-women-and-their-freedom-1638581.html|title=Gurmehar Kaur's Book Tells Us The Story Of Three Generations of Women And Their 'Freedom'|last=Bose|first=Adrija|publisher=CNN-News18|date=22 January 2018|accessdate=4 April 2019}}</ref> Aditya Sudarshan of ''[[Open (Indian magazine)|Open]]'' called it "a self-indulgent book, oriented towards winning the author friends and fans, not towards helping the reader with anything."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.openthemagazine.com/article/books/family-trivia|title=Family Trivia|last=Sudarshan|first=Aditya|work=Open|date=9 March 2019|accessdate=4 April 2019}}</ref> Meenakshi Reddy Madhavan of ''[[The Hindu Business Line]]'' said that "you won’t be able to stop thinking about it anyway" and called it an "intensely personal book."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/blink/read/little-full-lies/article22632511.ece|title=Little full lives|work=The Hindu Business Line|accessdate=4 April 2019}}</ref> John Cheeran of ''[[The Times of India]]'' called it "a beautiful book, and it can be read at many different levels, it is a book for children; it is a book for women, and it is a book for men; and it is also a book for the bigoted."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/blogs/Arrackistan/why-we-need-to-celebrate-small-acts-of-freedom/|title=Why we need to celebrate Small Acts of Freedom|last=Cheeran|first=John|work=The Times of India|date=19 February 2018|accessdate=4 April 2019}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://penguin.co.in/book/small-acts-of-freedom/ Small Acts of Freedom] at [[Penguin India]]
*[https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/37415514-small-acts-of-freedom Small Acts of Freedom] at [[Goodreads]]

[[Category:2018 Indian novels]]
[[Category:Indian English-language novels]]
[[Category:2018 debut novels]]
[[Category:Indian memoirs]]

Small Acts of Freedom - Revision history

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