The Night Diary by Veera Hiranandani

The Night Diary by Veera Hiranandani

Bibliography: 

Hiranandani, V., & Ayyar, P. (2023). The night diary. Playaway Products, LLC. 

Plot Summary: 

Shy twelve-year-old Nisha, forced to flee her home with her Hindu family during the 1947 partition of India, tries to find her voice and make sense of the world falling apart around her by writing to her deceased Muslim mother in the pages of her diary.

Critical Analysis:

Beautifully written, relevant to the plight of child migrants and refugees today, a must read for middle grade students and teachers. The Night Diary is set during the Partition of India in 1947 when India won its independence from Great Britain, resulting in the forced migration of Hindus to India and Muslims to newly formed Pakistan.

On the eve of her twelfth birthday, Nisha receives a diary from the family cook, Kazi, who tells her that adults will have neither the time nor the presence of mind to record what is to come. From the start, Nisha is bewildered by the idea that politicians have drawn a line on a map that divides people according to their religion. What is to become of Nisha and her twin brother Amil? Their deceased mother was Muslim and their father is Hindu. Even though he is Muslim, surely Kazi will stay with the family. He has filled the role of nurturing parent as Nisha's father is distant, critical, and spent from caring for patients during this brewing storm of societal upheaval. The family's planned journey starts with a grand feast for friends and family to say their final farewells. Growing unease gives way to urgency as Kazi saves the family during a late night raid. They escape on foot carrying water, food, and a few prized possessions. We follow Nisha across the unforgiving desert, to boarding a dangerously overcrowded train where she witnesses violence and mayhem. Along the way, Nisha must fend off desperate refugees who fight over the last drops of water and the sparse shade from the unforgiving heat. There are twists and turns in this riveting, perilous journey with a surprise ending. The beauty of this story is that we see how Nisha navigates internal and external obstacles through her journal entries. Reminiscent of the The Diary of Anne Frank, Nisha's diary shines a light on how a young girl tries to make sense of a world where political forces have created divisions among people and has turned her world upside down. Woven throughout the diary entries are Nisha's descriptions of the soothing rituals of cooking with Kazi. His gift of the perfect tomato with a sprinkle of salt, the savory samosas, and crunchy pakora are outward signs of love, family, culture, and survival.

Review Excerpt: 

Kirkus (starred review)

Believable and heartbreaking...A gripping, nuanced story of the human cost of conflict appropriate for both children and adults.

School Library Journal (starred review)

This rich, compelling story, which speaks to the turbulence surrounding India’s independence and to the plight of refugees, should be in all libraries.

Publisher's Weekly (starred review) 

The diary format gives her story striking intimacy and immediacy, serving as a window into a fraught historical moment as Nisha grapples with issues of identity and the search for a home that remain quite timely.

Connections:

Have a unit on epistolary: Literary work in form of letters.

Stories about immigration and refugees