Rapunzel Reads
  • Fiction
  • Who We Are
  • A Note to Authors
  • Books of the Year
    • 2024 Books of the Year
    • 2022 Books of the Year
    • 2021 Books of the Year
    • 2020 Books of the Year
    • 2019 Books of the Year
  • Author Interviews
  • For Older Readers
  • Audiobooks
  • Nonfiction
  • Submit a Review
  • Picture Books
  • Book Group Reads
  • Booklists

The Night Diary by Veera Hiranandani (2018)

8/31/2020

0 Comments

 
The Night Diary by Veera Hiranandani - RapunzelReads
By Super Kitty

On her twelfth birthday, Nisha receives her first diary--a beautiful book where she feels she can record all of her thoughts and wonderings. She struggles to speak in front of anyone other than her family, especially her twin brother Amil, or Kazi, her family's beloved cook, who gave her the notebook. But when she writes, words flow onto the page, telling the story of the sudden changes which have begun in the world around her. 

India has been freed from British rule, but in the summer of 1947, things only seem to be getting more complicated. Before, it didn't seem to matter what religion people were, but suddenly there is talk of India becoming two countries--one for Muslims and one for Sikhs, Hindus, and all other Indians. Everyone is taking sides, from the country's leaders to the students at Nisha and Amil's schools. But the only side Nisha wants to be on is her family's--Amil, Kazi, Papa, and Dadi, her grandmother. 

Dadi and Papa are Hindu. Kazi is Muslim, and so was Nisha's mother, who died when she and Amil were born. So where in this new world does Nisha belong?

As tensions escalate and violence begins to break out in their neighborhood, Dadi, Papa, Nisha and Amil escape and begin the long journey away from what is now Pakistan, away from their Kazi and their bungalow and everything Nisha and Amil have ever known. They cross the desert to what is now the new India on foot, desperate for water and facing the growing tensions between refugees of all religions, escaping their old homes to places they have never seen. They find hardship and danger on their road, people filled with cruelty and some who have lost everything. But there is also unexpected kindness in those they encounter, and the hope for a better future.

Written in a series of letters to her mother, Nisha's journey is sometimes heartbreaking yet ultimately hopeful, and although it's historical, it explores many issues which are still relevant today. I don't always prefer reading books written in a diary format--it can be difficult to immerse oneself in the story--but I loved the way that Veera Hiranandani weaves the story through Nisha's letters to a mother she never really met. The relationships within her family are believably imperfect, yet the relatively small cast of characters clearly truly care about one another, and the harsh journey they make together helps to bring them closer together. The story also explores a piece of history that I can't believe I didn't know more about--according to the Author's Note, the journey in The Night Diary "is the largest mass migration in history." Although the story itself is fictional, it is inspired by the journey made by the author's father when he was young, and her vivid details and descriptions bring Nisha's world to life. The Night Diary is written for a middle-grade audience, but older readers will enjoy it as well (though they may find the ending slightly too happy to be completely realistic), and they may be inspired to learn more about the historical events it describes. Overall, I would recommend The Night Diary to readers ages ten and up.  

0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Book Reviews By & For Teens

    Everyone knows that Rapunzel spent her early years locked up in a tower. We like to think she read plenty of books to while away the time, and that she’d appreciate our favorites.
     
    We’re two teen siblings who have been reviewing and recommending great middle-grade (MG) and young adult (YA) books since 2014 (over ten years!). We’re particularly passionate about fantasy, queer books, and any story beautifully told.
     
    Explore our site more for author interviews, favorite picture books & audiobooks, and more!


    Rapunzel Reads Profile Photo

    Follow us elsewhere!

    Follow us for book reviews and recommendations, including whenever we post a review! 

    Bluesky: @RapunzelReads


    Young Adult Reviews! 

    We're now featuring reviews for YA (ages 12+) books alongside our middle-grade reviews on our main page! (If you're not sure if a book is young adult, check the age range--if it's 12, 13, or 14+, it's YA.)

    ​Looking for more YA recommendations? Until 2022, we had a separate For Older Readers page, where we highlighted over two dozen awesome YA books. Check it out here! 


    Categories

    All
    Adventure
    Ages 10+
    Ages 11+
    Ages 12+
    Ages 13+
    Ages 14+
    Ages 5+
    Ages 6+
    Ages 7+
    Ages 8+
    Ages 9+
    Animal Stories
    ARC
    Audiobook
    Author Interviews
    Bookgroup Pick
    Booklists
    Books Of The Year
    Book Tour
    Classic
    Cover Reveals
    Diversity
    Fairy Tale Retellings
    Fairytale Retellings
    Fairy Tales
    Fairy-tales
    Family
    Fantasy
    Fiction
    Friends
    Futuristic
    Graphic Novel
    Historical Fantasy
    Historical Fiction
    Horror
    Horses
    Humorous
    Illustrated
    In Verse
    LGBTQ+
    Magic
    Magical Realism
    Middle Grade
    Mystery
    Myths & Legends
    Nonfiction
    Realistic Fiction
    Romance
    Science Fiction
    Sequels
    Series
    Short Stories
    Siblings
    Sisters
    Standalone
    Superheroes
    Young Adult

    Archives

    February 2025
    January 2025
    December 2024
    November 2024
    October 2024
    September 2024
    August 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    September 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    March 2016
    January 2016
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    June 2015
    April 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.