At the turn of the new year in 1948, Amil and his family are trying to make a home in India, now independent of British rule.Both Muslim and Hindu, twelve-year-old Amil is not sure what home means anymore. The memory of the long and difficult journey from their hometown in what is now Pakistan lives with him. And despite having an apartment in Bombay to live in and a school to attend, life in India feels uncertain. Nisha, his twin sister, suggests that Amil begin to tell his story through drawings meant for their mother, who died when they were just babies. Through Amil, readers witness the unwavering spirit of a young boy trying to make sense of a chaotic world, and find hope for himself and a newly reborn nation.
Praise for Amil and The After ★ "...a masterpiece of nuance, vulnerability, and emotional complexity. A quietly brilliant, deeply insightful story of living in uncertain times." --Kirkus Reviews, starred review
★ "Searingly emotional... the fast-paced, multifaceted plot will keep readers engaged while bringing them to a satisfying resolution."--Booklist, starred review
★ “In Veera Hiranandani's Amil and the After, a tender companion to her 2019 Newbery Honor-winning The Night Diary, Amil, the fraternal twin of the first book's narrator, Nisha, takes center stage.” –Shelf Awareness, starred review
★ "...an excellent work of historical fiction, seamlessly and sensitively integrating the personal and the political." --BookPage, starred review
“Masterly… a book about hope, about a boy and his father, both hurt and vulnerable, navigating their traumas and finally surviving — apart and then together.” -- New York Times Book Review
"Fans of the previous title will appreciate this compassionate and thoughtful continuation of the family’s story, while new readers can experience Amil’s account of hope and survivor guilt as a standalone volume. " -- The Horn Book Magazine
Read The Night Diary!
A 2019 NEWBERY HONOR WINNER
A WALTER DEAN MYERS HONOR WINNER
THE MALKA PENN AWARD FOR HUMAN RIGHTS IN CHILDREN'S LITERATURE
A JANE ADDAMS CHILDREN'S BOOK AWARD HONOR WINNER
A SOUTH ASIA BOOK AWARD HONOR WINNER
A 2019 ALSC NOTABLE BOOK
A JUNIOR LIBRARY GUILD SELECTION
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A NERDY BOOK CLUB WINNER
How To Find What You're Not Looking For is in Paperback!
A 2022 SYDNEY TAYLOR BOOK AWARD WINNER
A 2022 JANE ADDAMS CHILDREN'S BOOK AWARD WINNER
A FINALIST FOR THE 2022 NATIONAL JEWISH BOOK AWARD
WINNER OF THE 2021 NEW-YORK HISTORICAL SOCIETY CHILDREN'S HISTORY BOOK PRIZE
A 2022 JUDY LOPEZ MEMORIAL AWARD WINNER
A 2022 RIP VAN WINKLE AWARD WINNER
WINNER OF THE NAIBA CARLA COHEN FREE SPEECH AWARD
A NERDY BOOK CLUB WINNER
A JUNIOR LIBRARY GUILD SELECTION A 2022 ALSC NOTABLE CHILDREN'S BOOK
Veera's Newbery Honor winning book, THE NIGHT DIARY, was inspired by some of her father's experiences during the Partition of India in 1947. Watch Veera talk with her editor, Namrata Tripathi, in the video below.
THE NIGHT DIARY was also featured on NPR's Weekend Edition! You can listen HERE.