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traeisha's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
mbrandmaier's review against another edition
4.0
Nisha grapples with an age-old struggle of humanity- groups of people being intolerant of other groups of people- during the 1947 India/Pakistan/British Empire split.
stratfam's review against another edition
5.0
I read this with George and I learned a lot about the period when Pakistan was formed.
pea_che's review against another edition
emotional
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
amat_malak's review against another edition
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.5
"Who was the first one, Mama, the first to kill when they decided to break apart India?"
This book and Nisha's thoughts on the partition of India are very similar to mine. Even though she's a young teenager, her feelings about herself, her loved ones and her country have a tragic poignancy.
The author made me smile, gasp and almost moved me to tears. I'm so happy about the ending. You don't see a happy ending in most partition literature.
This book and Nisha's thoughts on the partition of India are very similar to mine. Even though she's a young teenager, her feelings about herself, her loved ones and her country have a tragic poignancy.
The author made me smile, gasp and almost moved me to tears. I'm so happy about the ending. You don't see a happy ending in most partition literature.
katerintree's review against another edition
4.0
A gripping story abt a part of history I was completely ignorant of.
Told in the form of a girl’s diary to her deceased mother, this is the story of a Hindi (Hindu?) family forced to relocate after the partition of India. Violence & unrest follows her family as they make the dangerous journey.
A book I felt deeply.
Told in the form of a girl’s diary to her deceased mother, this is the story of a Hindi (Hindu?) family forced to relocate after the partition of India. Violence & unrest follows her family as they make the dangerous journey.
A book I felt deeply.
notinjersey's review against another edition
4.0
This book wasn’t on my radar at all until it was chosen for a buddy read I’m in. I didn’t have another audio book to pick up so I chose this one. It describes the partition of India into India and Pakistan in the voice of a 12 year old girl composing letters to her mother, who passed away. This story reminded me of the creation of Israel and had me thinking I’d like to read a book about that as well. It was a moving account of what happened to the families who became refugees in this time period.
notinjersey's review against another edition
4.0
This book wasn’t on my radar at all until it was chosen for a buddy read I’m in. I didn’t have another audio book to pick up so I chose this one. It describes the partition of India into India and Pakistan in the voice of a 12 year old girl composing letters to her mother, who passed away. This story reminded me of the creation of Israel and had me thinking I’d like to read a book about that as well. It was a moving account of what happened to the families who became refugees in this time period.
lkthomas07's review against another edition
3.0
I know almost nothing about the partition of India, so this was really interesting. The diary/letter format made it easy to read, yet didn't allow for as much information as I wanted to know! A twelve year old girl who doesn't really know what's happening or why doesn't explain things very well ;-) I liked getting her hear Nisha's POV though. Well done.
the_argumentative_bong's review against another edition
4.0
The Night Diary by Veera Hiranandani is an epistolary novel written from the viewpoint of a 12-year old girl Nisha, addressed to her long-dead mother. The book follows little Nisha, who together with her family, is forced to leave their home in Pakistan following the partition of India in 1947.
“Half-Muslim, half-Hindu twelve-year-old Nisha doesn't know where she belongs, or what her country is anymore. When Papa decides it's too dangerous to stay in what is now Pakistan, Nisha and her family become refugees and embark first by train but later on foot to reach her new home. The journey is long, difficult, and dangerous, and after losing her mother as a baby, Nisha can't imagine losing her homeland, too. But even if her country has been ripped apart, Nisha still believes in the possibility of putting herself back together.”
It is a beautifully written tale of a young girl's confusion, bewilderment, fear and sadness, when she leaves their home and town for good and travel many kilometres away to a new country to start their lives all over again, amidst an atmosphere of unexpected anger and religious hatred amongst those very people who had lived together for years in companionable harmony.
Although, strictly speaking, such coherence of thoughts in a 12-year old is hard to expect and accept; the writing style is simple, emotional and mesmerizing. Narrated by a child, the violence and the brutality is kept at a minimum, partly because it is a middle grade historical fiction, and partly to focus on a child’s innocent perspective about one of the most heartbreaking episodes of India’s struggle for independence. As an overly sensitive child, Nisha witnesses and experiences many things that may be overlooked by adults, but she cannot communicate her feelings aloud to anyone except her twin brother, and through her letters...to her mother.
The Night Diary is an emotional and insightful book that asks questions that are still left unanswered, even after more than 70 years of Indian independence.
“Half-Muslim, half-Hindu twelve-year-old Nisha doesn't know where she belongs, or what her country is anymore. When Papa decides it's too dangerous to stay in what is now Pakistan, Nisha and her family become refugees and embark first by train but later on foot to reach her new home. The journey is long, difficult, and dangerous, and after losing her mother as a baby, Nisha can't imagine losing her homeland, too. But even if her country has been ripped apart, Nisha still believes in the possibility of putting herself back together.”
It is a beautifully written tale of a young girl's confusion, bewilderment, fear and sadness, when she leaves their home and town for good and travel many kilometres away to a new country to start their lives all over again, amidst an atmosphere of unexpected anger and religious hatred amongst those very people who had lived together for years in companionable harmony.
Although, strictly speaking, such coherence of thoughts in a 12-year old is hard to expect and accept; the writing style is simple, emotional and mesmerizing. Narrated by a child, the violence and the brutality is kept at a minimum, partly because it is a middle grade historical fiction, and partly to focus on a child’s innocent perspective about one of the most heartbreaking episodes of India’s struggle for independence. As an overly sensitive child, Nisha witnesses and experiences many things that may be overlooked by adults, but she cannot communicate her feelings aloud to anyone except her twin brother, and through her letters...to her mother.
The Night Diary is an emotional and insightful book that asks questions that are still left unanswered, even after more than 70 years of Indian independence.