The Night Diary

When I read the night diary, a while ago, it immediately intrigued me. I would rate this book a 9/10, and I would recommend it for ages 10+. This book tells the story of Nisha, a 12 year old girl who lives in India, and loves her grandma , her brother, her father, and her friends. And she LOVES her home.0 Or at least she did. Now, she barely recognizes it; with India being freed from British rule, and people demanding that Hindus don’t belong in India, since now it will be divided into two countries, India and Pakistan. With many Hindu friends and family members fleeing, Nisha is unsure if she should leave too. Because Nisha is different, her father is Hindu, but her mother ( who died when Nisha was a baby) was Muslim . Now, Nisha is unsure as ever which one she is. Then, Nisha’s father makes the heartbreaking decision to leave, and go to Pakistan, due to feeling dangerously unwelcome in India. While on the journey, Nisha faces many things, but no matter what, she writes to her mother in a “night diary”. The night diary is a fantastic story told through letters that shows what it’s like to persist. But, with hardships like being deprived of food and water, riots over the border, and much more, can Nisha and her family persist and make it? Will she ever feel welcome in Pakistan? Would it just be better to stay in India? And most importantly, will Nisha feel whole once she arrives, with her homeland being so far away?