The Ahimsa Club

A shocking school assembly opens Valerie’s eyes to the horror of animal abuse. But what can a 14-year-old girl do to protect animals? Why even try to attack such a huge problem?

With others from her school, she forms the Ahimsa Club—“Ahimsa” an Indian word meaning “the avoidance of causing harm to other living things.”

As its first action, the Ahimsa Club spearheads a Pledge to Veg campaign at school, gaining enemies as well as an unexpected and powerful ally. Their Save the Strays campaign pits them against some of the town’s most powerful interests when they discover a connection between stray animals and local laboratories. Rumors—some vicious, some comical—spread like wildfire at school and around the community. Valerie risks losing her two best friends and starts to get frightening anonymous threats.

Help comes from an amazing source: fellow animal lover and ex-Beatle Paul McCartney, who is coming to town for a concert. Anti-animal rights groups plan to picket the concert, and a war of words takes over the local media. What will happen the night of the concert is anyone’s guess.

The Ahimsa Club explores many sides of this issue, but Valerie never wavers. Someone has to look out for the animals. And for her the choice is easy—“You cannot come down on the side of cruelty.”