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A hopeful and heartwarming story about finding joy after tragedy, 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.
Summary
A hopeful and heartwarming story about finding joy after tragedy, Amil and the After is a companion to the beloved and award-winning Newbery Honor novel The Night Diary, by acclaimed author Veera Hiranandani.
Report
Praise for Amil and The After
A Kirkus Best Middle Grade Book of 2024
A School Library Journal Top 10 Audiobook of 2024
A Shelf Awareness 2024 Best Children's Books
2025 Jane Addams Peace Association Children s Book Award Finalist
Children's Book Council (CBC) 2025 Favorites Awards List (Children s favorite, 6th-8th grade)
A Bank Street Best Book of 2025
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
A tender companion to [Hiranandani s] 2019 Newbery Honor-winning The Night Diary compelling. Shelf Awareness, starred review
Veera Hiranandani masterfully presents a powerful, unvarnished examination of difficult subject matter while paving the way forward with hope and love. BookPage, starred review
Hiranandani effortlessly incorporates the tastes, sights, sounds, and history of India in engaging prose Accessible and engrossing, readers unfamiliar with the historic partition of India and Pakistan will nevertheless readily relate to a boy s yearning for stability in tumultuous times. A first purchase for all middle grade collections. School Library Journal, 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
