Some books are so meaningful and inspiring that you are grateful they were written. The Night Diary by Veera Hiranandani is one such book. It is a historical fiction written in journal-style format set in 1947 when India and Pakistan became independent from British rule and separated into two countries. Even though the book is in the context of the partition of India and Pakistan, it is relevant today as millions of families around the world become refugees because of war, conflict, oppressive governments, and climate change. Through the eyes of one twelve year old girl, I got a glimpse into the feelings of children who are forced to leave their homes and loved ones, make long, treacherous journeys, and find a place where they are welcome. For this, I am grateful. Before The Night Diary, I had not read a book in which the story takes place in India and is about an Indian girl like me. Culturally diverse books are so rare, even though we live in multi-cultural society. This book connected me to my heritage. The food, community, songs, culture, and turns of language, all gave me a strong sense of belonging. For this, I am grateful. After reading this book, I learned that some of my family members lived through the horrific partition of India and Pakistan. My dadi (paternal grandmother) was born in present-day Pakistan and traveled to India as an infant with her older brother and parents during the partition. I wish I could learn more about their stories, but no one who could remember is alive now. The Night Diary shows what the feelings of many people would have been during that time. For this, I am grateful. This book is Nisha’s inner dialogue during her arduous and dangerous journey as a refugee from Pakistan to India. She writes to her deceased mother in a dairy gifted to her on her 12th birthday, who she misses now more than ever. As a girl who is both Hindu and Muslim, living through a partition based on religion, Nisha is struggling to make sense of the world around her. She cannot understand how people can hate each other so much because of the religion they follow. Pakistan and India are both part of her being. If Pakistan and India are divided, then she is torn apart too. The letters to her mama allow her to release her trapped feelings of fear and the pain of leaving loved ones. Through the process of expressing her feelings through written words to her mother who she has never known, she can understand her feelings and hope for a better future. This book is full of metaphors. Nisha’s body symbolizes the two countries. The home she is leaving behind symbolizes her mother. The diary symbolizes hope. It shows us that we can’t run away from our feelings, but should try to understand them and focus on the road ahead. I marvel at the way the author is able to feel the feelings of a twelve year old girl in a different context and time and make me feel the same feelings. Makes me want to write a book just like this one. To all children reading this review: Read this book! It will teach you something about the broader world beyond the borders your own community. It will make you aware of the experiences of refugees. It will teach you why it is important to welcome people seeking help in your homeland. It will inspire you to stand up against bigotry and work toward change. The Night Diary by Veera Hiranandani. Puffin Books, 2019. Buy the book here and support Stone Soup in the process!
The Night Diary
Book Club Report: The Night Diary, by Veera Hiranandani
An update from our twenty-third Book Club meeting! At our first Book Club meeting of 2021, on January 30, the Stone Soup Book Club discussed The Night Diary, by Veera Hiranandani. The Night Diary tells the story of a half-Hindu, half-Muslim girl named Nisha during the separation of India and Pakistan, and is written through letters from Nisha to her mother, who died when Nisha was born. Our meeting consisted of over forty kids from across the US, Canada, and Europe, and we were very lucky to be joined for the first twenty minutes of Book Club by Veera Hiranandani, author of The Night Diary! We were able to ask her a variety of questions, from how she decided to be a writer, to the amount of research she had to do in order to write her book, to the impact of cooking and food in the story. She told us how she was inspired by her grandfather’s experiences in India, and how she herself feels that food can connect her to her culture. Thank you very much, Ms. Hiranandani, for joining us! After Ms. Hiranandani’s visit, we broke into small groups to discuss what we enjoyed about her visit, and then regrouped to have a conversation about the role of letters written by Nisha to her mother in the book. Overall, we agreed that the book was very good as an epistolary novel (that is, written through letters), and we talked about some of the challenges of writing that way, such as making sure the dates on the letters line up! Next, we went into four breakout rooms (led by myself, Laura, and two of our older participants, Maddy N. and Lucy) to talk overall about the book, including the characters, settings, and themes. We discussed the complexity of the characters, as well as how vivid some of the scenes were, and most of us agreed that before this book, we had not known much about the separation of India and Pakistan, and that The Night Diary had taught us a lot! Finally, we chose our next book, which is listed below. Our Next Book (to be discussed on February 27): The Thing About Jellyfish, Ali Benjamin
Book Club Report: The Girl Who Drank the Moon, by Kelly Barnhill
An update from our twenty-second Book Club meeting! On Saturday, December 5, the Stone Soup Book Club discussed the novel The Girl Who Drank the Moon, written by Kelly Barnhill. The Girl Who Drank the Moon is about a girl named Luna, and the story follows her as she grows up, and learns about both her magic and her past. Our meeting consisted of forty kids from across the US and in the UK, and we were incredibly lucky to be joined by the author of The Girl Who Drank the Moon, Kelly Barnhill!! Ms. Barnhill visited with our Book Club for nearly forty minutes. We asked her a variety of questions, and she told us about her writing process and where her ideas come from, as well sharing some writing tips. We learned about how Ms. Barnhill wanted to set The Girl Who Drank the Moon in a society where the truth was veiled in lies, and we received excellent advice on how to follow through on our story ideas, however hard they may seem to write down. Thank you very much, Ms. Barnhill! If you attended this session of Book Club, please write a thank you note to Ms. Barnhill and email it to me at anya@stonesoup.com, if you have not done so already. I will forward it to her! After Ms. Barnhill’s visit, we only had a little bit of time left, but we were able to have some fascinating discussions about setting and characters in The Girl Who Drank the Moon. We debated the complexities of both the good and evil characters, and thought about the symbolism and significance of different places in the book. It was really interesting to hear what everyone had to say! Finally, we chose our next book, which is listed below. Important Note: Book Club is taking a break for the next few weeks. Right now, we are not sure exactly when in January it will return, but we will tell you as soon as we know! Our Next Book (date TBD): The Night Diary, by Veera Hiranandani
