Review by Booklist Review
This poignant novel in verse follows 11-year-old Zarina before, during, and after India's partition. Zarina experiences several changes as she is forced from her beloved home in Poona, India, through her family's harrowing journey to Karachi, Pakistan, and onward to boarding school in Murree. Faruqi captures the tumultuous events from this historical period, yet balances Zarina's trauma with moments of joy, delicious sweets, strong sibling bonds, and tender friendships. Universal themes, including struggles with friends and parents, are interwoven with the time period's specific difficulties, such as partition separating friends and communities due to religious differences. Many young readers are sure to identify with Zarina's challenge to control her temper while still standing up for herself, especially in her relationship with her mom. Their relationship is especially strained when Zarina's desire to learn conflicts with her sense of duty to care for her pregnant mother, who is on bed rest. Faruqi's poetry is lyrical, yet roots the reader to the time and place; varying poem lengths underscore emotionally resonant moments. Back matter includes a recipe, photos, a glossary, and an author's note that details the connections between the author's family and Zarina's story. An engaging read with realistic characters that brings the time period to life in new ways.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
As the only girl in her wealthy family, 11-year-old Zarina feels as if she leads a charmed life in 1947 Poona, India--until Zarina and her Muslim family flee from India to the newly formed Muslim country of Pakistan. Zarina witnesses incidents of violence and turbulence between Muslims, Sikhs, and Hindus as she travels from Poona to Karachi, and the trip proves traumatic and dangerous, especially for her pregnant mother. Disenchanted with her new home, Zarina becomes inspired when her brothers leave for boarding school. Despite her mother's protests, Zarina pressures her parents to send her to boarding school as well. While attending a religious academy run by a British administration, Zarina blossoms. Faruqi (The House Without Lights) draws on her grandmother's experiences during the partition of India, as addressed in an author's note, to sensitively conjure a touching tale of loss and change. Depictions of frightening violence and genuine acts of kindness are balanced via deliberate verse that eschews judgment and compassionately showcases how societal perceptions of religious differences can impact relationships. It's a simultaneously gentle and gripping story led by a strong-willed protagonist eager to advocate for herself in a changing world. Ages 8--12. Agent: Sara Crowe, Sara Crowe Literary. (May)
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Review by Horn Book Review
Eleven-year-old Zarina lives a privileged life in Poona, India, until the British withdrawal in 1947, which initiates the partition of India into two separate countries. The family survives the chaos and violence as they flee to what is now Pakistan. When they finally arrive safely in Karachi, the unrest continues around them. Traumatized and unable to concentrate, Zarina struggles in school, while inside their small house her mother, pregnant with her fifth child, is put on bed rest, a need possibly due to Zarina's accidentally crashing into her while playing in the tight new space. Zarina fights for the chance to go to boarding school like her brothers and starts attending St. Denys' boarding school without Mummy's blessing. There she finds a friend, understanding teachers, and the stability she needs to heal. The novel in verse is broken into four segments: Zarina's life in India and her journey to Pakistan; a new life in Karachi; boarding school; and a return to her now-more-settled family in Karachi over term break to meet her new baby sister and make peace with her mother. Faruqi's thoughtful use of verse emphasizes the fragmented nature of Zarina's life -- moments of calm are broken by violence, fear, or sadness. Ultimately, Zarina's is a story of resilience; an author's note relates that the novel is based loosely on her family history. Back matter also includes a glossary, resources, and photos. Maeve Visser KnothSeptember/October 2025 p.62 (c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
During the Partition of 1947, a family uproots their lives in India and moves to the newly created Pakistan. Zarina's world revolved around swinging in the backyard with friends, roughhousing with her brothers, and feasting on her mother's coconut toffee--until Abajan, her father, announces they're moving to predominantly Muslim Pakistan. When, amid the growing violence, a bloodthirsty mob comes to their door, Abajan decides they must leave that night. During their perilous journey from Poona by train and ship to Karachi, they encounter unrelenting violence and crushing crowds of people fleeing in both directions. In Karachi, they slowly rebuild their lives. But following an accident, a guilt-ridden Zarina is convinced she should leave home. Despite her mother's reservations, Zarina joins her brothers, who are leaving for boarding school. At St. Denys', a girls' school with British teachers in mountainous Murree, she navigates old resentments and makes new friends. Zarina's perspective as an 11-year-old who's trying to make sense of overnight changes, religion-based divisions, and the horrors she witnesses are compelling. Unfortunately, the weak pacing and flat portrayals of other characters undermine the dramatic tension. Readers familiar with the setting may notice details that feel jarring. The second half of the book, which recounts the family's refugee experiences and offers a quaint look at boarding school life, is stronger. An ambitious attempt to render sweeping changes in the birth of a nation that doesn't coalesce. (map, author's note, glossary, recipe, photo gallery, resources)(Verse historical fiction. 8-12) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
