Amil and the After by Veera Hiranandani is a companion novel to her Newbery Honor book, The Night Diary. That first book told how the twelve-year-old, twins, Amil and Nisha with their father and grandmother, made a harrowing escape from their family home because the British partitioned India in 1947. That meant that since the family were Hindus, they had to leave what became Pakistan since it just for Muslims after the partition. These historical fiction novels about events that few American children are acquainted with will give young readers insights about how those past events influence what is happening in today’s world.
“That’s when India became free from British rule, partitioned into two countries, and Pakistan was born. Most Muslims went to Pakistan. Most Hindus, Sikhs, and other non-Muslims went to India, and everyone started fighting and killing one another. Many starved or became ill and died on the journey.” (p. 5 Amil and the After.)
In the new book, Amil continues the account of what happened to his Muslim family after they made it to a new home in Bombay, India. The story, told from Amil’s point of view, is enriched by his drawings that show how they built a new life, recovered from the trauma of their journey and the loss of their comfortable home which was in the new Pakistan.
Even though living in Bombay is supposed to be safe, the children and their family witness or hear about events where people are treated in terrible ways. The twins struggle to understand by talking with each other. After hearing about how a Muslim woman had been badly beaten, the twins hear their father say, “We are better than this.”
Amil goes to Nisha and asks, “What do you think Papa meant when he said, ‘We are better than this?'”
Nisha replies, “I think he means ‘we’ as people keep attacking each other and spreading hate, but we don’t have to be like this.”
Amil thought for a second. “Are we better, though? What if this is as good as we get?”
“Don’t say that, Amil,” Nisha said. “We have to believe we can be better, because not believing would be worse.”
(p. 121, Amil and the After)
As the twins become settled in their new school and neighborhood, they find ways to help a boy who also made the same terrible journey and is suffering badly with no family to support him.
Amil and the After can be read as a stand alone novel even though it continues the story that started in The Night Diary. Classroom teachers may want to read aloud both books to their classes for the full narrative, but can have fruitful discussions with just one book. Classroom discussion about the books will enrich the understanding of students about this historical period and shine a light on today’s events.
Don’t miss the comprehensive Glossary with definitions of commonly used South Asian words, names and terms. –Recommended by Marilyn Carpenter, Professor Emeritus, Eastern Washington University
Title: Amil and the After
Author: Veera Hiranandani
Illustrator: Prashant Miranda
ISBN: 9780525555063
Pub. Date: January 23, 2024
Publisher: Kokila
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- Themes: Amil and the After, Marilyn Carpenter, Night Diary, Veera Hiranandani
- Descriptors: WOW Recommends