The Night Diary

The Night Diary
Veera Hiranandani
Dial, 2018 258 pages
Grades 5-8
Historical Fiction

Nisha lives in India in 1947 with her twin brother, father, and grandmother. In a series of letters written in her diary to her decreased mother we see history unfold as the country achieves independence and Pakistan succeeds as an independent Muslim state. Although Nisha's mother was Muslim, her father and grandmother are Hindu and, thus, enemies of the people. First, they are not allowed to go to school or to play with the friends they have always known, but then their very safety is in jeopardy. The family escapes, leaving behind their beloved cook and a treacherous journey begins, filled with possible starvation, thirst, and desperate refugees. To further complicate matters, Nisha is painfully shy and struggles with talking out-loud, her brother is clumsy and spills their water, and grandma is frail and may not make it to the boarder. Will the small family ever reach safety? Help comes from unexpected places, hope emerges where there once was none, and surprises abound. 

Hiranandani draws from her father's experiences during India's transition from British rule, creating a book for young readers about a little know corner of world history. This is historical fiction at its best. I learned so much about historic events from a personal perspective, was exposed to various parts of Indian culture, and enjoyed an entertaining and exciting story in the process. Nisha's story will inspire children, yet since she often feels lonely and shy, they will relate to her and maybe feel encouraged to tap into their own resources. A map on the end papers shows the countries in question and offers the reader a visual of the journey the small family undertakes. A glossary in the back defines some of the Indian terms and customs seen within the book and an author's note puts the narrative into historical perspective. This is truly a middle grade novel. Because of some of the violence between the focused groups, the story could be scary for younger elementary readers. That said, there is nothing particularly inappropriate or romantic, making it fine for older elementary. My library has this book shelved in the teen section, but it could comfortably be placed in the Children's Room and about half of my library system's libraries have done just that. Kids love diary-style books and this one, if put in the hands of the target audience, will entertain as well as educate.