Nisha's journey in the book mirrors her journey towards personal growth as she comes to view herself as brave despite the fact that, throughout her life, she has found it incredibly hard to make friends and talk to people. Although she’d never written historical fiction before, Hiranandani was drawn to the history of the Partition of India both personally and professionally. But I just became more and more curious about it and as I got older we would talk about it more. 10 funny mockumentaries to remind us about the absurdity of life, Family-friendly Halloween films for boos big and small. By Elie Wiesel. I didn’t want them to be alone, you know, I wanted both of them to have each other. It’s so tender and loving and well realized, and I think it’s a very grounding aspect for the story. It’s about a Jewish family in the Lower East Side of New York. The Night Diary is an epistolary novel which recounts the partition of India into two separate countries, India and Pakistan, through the eyes of a twelve-year-old half-Hindu and half-Muslim girl named Nisha. Regina works as a teacher, but when she met Gus she was a police officer. I met the man of my dreams. Although she finds herself knee deep in drama (no thanks to her little sister and arch nemesis), this dork embraces her dorkiness and always lands on her feet! She is also the twin sister of Amil. The book is formatted as letters Nisha writes to her mother; that lets t What a beauty of a book! I mean, I’ve done a lot of research now, and I still can’t fully understand it. Nikki often underestimates herself despite her many talents. Nisha is both Muslim and Hindu in The Night Diary. Nisha loves her family deeply and she includes Kazi in her family unit. She’s a self-proclaimed dork and chronic doodler with big dreams and an even bigger addiction to writing in her diary. So this was a story that I grew up with, but it was something that I found out about in bits and pieces. My favorite part of the book is the sibling dynamic between Nisha and her brother Amil. The main character from her new novel The Night Diary, Nisha, a shy, bookish child from a mixed background (Hiranandani is Jewish and Hindu, while Nisha is Muslim and Hindu… I felt like they were starting over, and there was hope that Nisha would find her strength, and find connection. Entertainment Weekly is a registered trademark of Meredith Corporation All Rights Reserved. Once the train arrived in Poland, the Gestapo took the Jewish passengers off the train, drove them to a forest, made them dig graves, and slaughtered them with machine guns, using babies for target practice. Previous Next . In some ways Nisha has a fairly modern family: She grows up with a single dad, and parents with different religions, although their household is pretty secular. I’d heard a bit about Partition [and] how I was connected somehow to this piece of history. Moishe the Beadle. Her parents are Mama and Papa, so she is half-Muslim and half-Hindu -- an identity she struggles to come to terms with throughout the book. I just fell in love with the act of reading, and I think it helped keep me company as a little bit of a lonely, shy kid. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Author Veera Hiranandani (The Whole Story of Half a Girl) has always wanted to write stories that reflect her own experiences. There are so many images from that time: dead bodies piled up in alleys, and people just destroyed and dismembered, and the violence against women was just so terrible and so disturbing. Since this book is in 1st person point of view, as a reader, I know exactly what's going on in Nisha's (the main character) head. It was something that felt familiar to me. It's the summer of 1947, and 12-year-old Nisha writes letters each evening to her long-dead mom in THE NIGHT DIARY. Fire appears throughout Night as a symbol of the Nazis’ cruel power. “After I finish, it’s like the part of me that can’t fall asleep, the part that’s staring at the cracks on the ceiling, wondering and worrying, is emptied in the diary for the night. But as I wrote, I wasn’t fully connecting to the character deeply enough. Penguin Random House, 2018. Nikki Maxwell Nikki is the new girl in school. I think that when you read, when you study the history of Partition, it’s just so shockingly bloody and disturbing. I didn’t really find that [on] my South Asian side. But at the same time, those kinds of changes tend to take a long time. I have had experiences as a parent with children having learning disabilities, but I don’t like to get too into it because of just the privacy of my kids. Did you consider different ways of delivering that part of the story?Yes, it was something I thought about for a really long time. Buy Study Guide. Nisha, her twin brother - Amil, her dad, and grandma travel from Mirpur Khas (in current day Pakistan), to Jodhpur, India. She questions those in power in a way that felt natural and not like I was being fed a history lesson. Her parents are Mama and Papa, so she is half-Muslim and half-Hindu -- an identity she struggles to come to terms with throughout the book. Nisha, her twin brother - Amil, her dad, and grandma travel from Mirpur Khas (in current day Pakistan), to Jodhpur, India. Learn with flashcards, games, and more — for free. Since this book is in 1st person point of view, as a reader, I know exactly what's going on in Nisha's (the main character) head. Thank you. I often reference the movie Gandhi because I saw it when I was 11. The main character, Nisha, is so wise and kind-hearted. Where did that character detail come from, and why did you feel that was important to include?Well, I don’t label disabilities in the novel because I felt like they wouldn’t be labeled back then, necessarily. this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines. Meredith has affiliate partnerships. The story is told through the eyes of a 12-year-old, Nisha, the protagonist of the story. Why did you conceive of her that way?Because my family is Hindu, I wanted her to be going in the direction that a Hindu would travel during that time, and having to leave what became Pakistan. But I think that’s where that comes from, just being a parent that way, and observing learning disabilities close up … I tend to be attracted to portraying characters who feel outside of things in some way, for a number of different reasons. Their father also teaches them tolerant beliefs.Those certainly were my own influences growing up; I grew up with parents [of] two different religions, but also in a very secular household. I do think that even though there were so many communities and people during that time, I think a lot of people felt like, ‘I’m an Indian, I’m don’t necessarily feel I am a Hindu, or a Muslim, or Sikh, or Christian, I’m an Indian first and foremost.’ I think that creating Papa, who felt that way, just felt real to me. It’s not like they would have gone through the whole process that people go through now, to figure out and diagnose what somebody might be struggling with. Nisha and her twin brother, Amil, celebrate their 12th birthday in their beloved town of Mirpur Khas, India, a month before their country receives independence from the British and splits into India and Pakistan. Credit: During the day I fill back up and the pages wait. But when I saw it on an American movie screen, I realized the magnitude of the history. The main character of this new book is transitioning as well. Nisha is the 12-year-old narrator and protagonist of The Night Diary. Nisha. Eliezer Wiesel (identification number A-7713) The narrator of the book, Eliezer is taken to concentration camps in Czechoslovakia and Germany at the age of fourteen. I really wanted to share this story with young people, because I think it’s an important story, a global piece of our history that especially in this country isn’t studied very often. Amil seems to be dyslexic in the novel. Use the many resources listed below to help your … Nisha is the protagonist of The Night Diary. At Auschwitz's Block 17, he berates himself for being a spoiled child and rejecting his first plate of prison soup. So I gave that character a sister, and then she became a twin sister, and that twin sister became the main character. Below is a list of characters that appear in the Future Diary universe and series. So it’s all those things, it’s my father, it’s me, it’s my son and daughter. [The] results were shocking and devastating, and I think to this day nobody really fully understands them. Penguin;Dial Books. The main character from her new novel The Night Diary, Nisha, a shy, bookish child from a mixed background (Hiranandani is Jewish and Hindu, while Nisha is Muslim and Hindu), fits that description — albeit with one major difference: Nisha lives in 1947 India, at the beginning of the dangerous, tumultuous period of Partition, when the country was split into two independent nations now known as India and Pakistan. Below, Hiranandani talks to EW about history, identity, and the choices that brought The Night Diary to life. Eliezer. LitCharts makes it easy to find quotes by chapter, character, and theme. At the beginning of the book, Eliezer’s father is a respected Jewish community leader in... Moishe the Beadle. Night Characters. In 1947, Nisha’s beloved country is being torn apart—and so is her family. Nisha has anxiety around speaking and, aside from Amil or Kazi, Nisha almost never speaks to anyone. … Character List Eliezer "Elie" Wiesel An introspective teenager, Elie first begins to hate when Hungarian police strike out with billy clubs and force Jews from their homes. There was sort of a mounting frustration, but it just completely exploded very quickly, and many communities that were completely peaceful were suddenly overcome by fear and mistrust. Fire. To explore the events of the 1947 Partition from different perspectives, have some of your students read The Night Diary while others read A Moment Comes by Jennifer Bradbury, which tells the story of the Partition from the perspective of three different teenaged characters: Margaret, who is British, Tariq, who is Muslim, and Anupreet, who is Sikh. The Night Diary By Veera Hiranandani Published by Penguin Young Readers Group Age Range: 8+ Find a copy at Amazon | IndieBound | B&N | Worldcat “This rich, compelling story, which speaks to the turbulence surrounding India’s independence and to the plight of refugees, should be in all libraries serving middle grade readers.” I also have a son and a daughter, and as I wrote the book over the years, my son and daughter were getting older. I would talk to my father and get information that would echo that part of the history. He was around 9 in 1947, and he left the village Mirpur Khas — which is where Nisha leaves and goes to Jodhpur — and he also made the same journey. Dear diary, last night was amazing!!! A set of characters from Ms. Seymore about the book "Night", by Elie WIesel. This Study Guide consists of approximately 45 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more - A few months later, Moché appears in town again, telling a horror story. On the way to Auschwitz-Birkenau, Madame Schächter receives a vision of fire that serves as a premonition of the horror to come. In it, the author chronicles the events of India’s post-World War II independence from Britain and subsequent partition through the voice of a 12-year-old Indian girl, Nisha. How am I truthful to the history without being inappropriate for young readers? I like to think you’re holding my thoughts for me until I can tend to them again.” My father’s family was lucky — they had to leave their home and community, but they survived. The Night Diary is set around this time of partition and separated into two different countries. Diary … He’s also a... Eliezer’s Father. Characters Gus Ramone is a veteran of the homicide unit and a family man married to Regina, with two children, Diego and Alana. Gus is Italian-American while Regina is African-American. Night Character List. The Night Diary, Veera Hiranandani’s 2018 work of historical fiction for middle-grade and young adult readers, consists of 60 diary entries spanning approximately four months. Nisha is the protagonist of The Night Diary. I’m sure that’s a consideration, when you’re writing for young readers, about what you’re going to include. The story is told in the form of diary entries written by the main character, Nisha beginning on her twelfth birthday, addresses to her deceased mother. Day – Write on what day the diary is being written; Time – At what time you are writing the entry; Content – This is the main part of the diary entry, here you write about your day or about that enemy of yours; Your Name – You can sign too if you want, it is your diary after all!! When the book begins, Eliezer is essentially a child—very innocent. So the first book I wrote, The Whole Story of Half a Girl, was definitely sort of giving myself the book that I never had. These do not influence editorial content, though Meredith may earn commissions for products purchased via affiliate links. I think I was sort of modeling it on a younger version of my father. What made you choose to write about the Partition of India?My father was born in what is now Pakistan, and he and his family had to leave during the Partition of India. My father talked about growing up in Mirpur Khas—it was a very blended community, and people would celebrate each other’s holidays, and people didn’t really divide themselves that way. Welcome to the latest installment of Brightly’s Book Club for Kids, where we provide you with engaging books and book-inspired activities young readers can enjoy together.This month’s pick, The Night Diary by Veera Hiranandani, is a compelling historical novel about an event that many young readers know little about — the 1947 partition of India and Pakistan. ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Are there specific authors that have influenced your writing?VEERA HIRANANDANI: [Growing up], I read Beverly Cleary and Judy Blume and Roald Dahl. Eliezer’s teacher of Jewish mysticism, Moishe is a poor Jew who lives in Sighet. If it’s a hopeful ending, it’s moving towards what you hope to be, what you aspire to be. [As an adult], I wanted to write a book that was for that kid… Even though I related to a lot of the characters I was reading because of their universal aspects, because of my mixed background, I never really saw myself specifically in any books. Symbols are objects, characters, figures, or colors used to represent abstract ideas or concepts. Painfully shy, Nisha, who lost her mother in childbirth and feels distant from her stern father and her elderly … She is twelve years old and has a twin brother named Amil. Nisha receives the diary as birthday gift from Kazi, the family's Muslim servant. Those were all the pieces to create them. Nisha's journey in the book mirrors her journey towards personal growth as she comes to view herself as brave despite the fact that, throughout her life, she … She is twelve years old and has a twin brother named Amil. Entertainment Weekly may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. They weren’t attacked, they didn’t go through any huge violent episodes. Towards the end of the book, there is some violence that is pretty brutal. So I felt like I would show just enough to be truthful to the pain and the violence without going over that line. And the questions that I have about Partition in general. © Copyright 2020 Meredith Corporation. The Night Diary (Book) : Hiranandani, Veera : Shy twelve-year-old Nisha, forced to flee her home with her Hindu family during the 1947 partition of India, tries to find her voice and make sense of the world falling apart around her by writing to her deceased Muslim mother in the pages of her diary. So I purposely left them unnamed and up for interpretation. Her silence is contrasted by her brother's noisiness, yet she performs better than him at school and is incredibly observant due to her ability to stay quiet and listen to what others are expressing. It was a painful part of my father’s history, and it wasn’t something he was really excited to share with me growing up. The only bad thing is that he is a Montague and I'm a Capulet, but I'm not letting that stop me from seeing him and spending the rest of my life with him! And their relationship was evolving, and I was observing that as a mother. When I first started writing the book, years ago, the main character was actually a boy. The story certainly has a hopeful ending, but not all of it is resolved. But then, how do I balance that? [They] had to start over, and it was a real loss, but at the same time, they were some of the luckiest people during that time. The Night Diary (Book) : Hiranandani, Veera : Shy twelve-year-old Nisha, forced to flee her home with her Hindu family during the 1947 partition of India, tries to find her voice and make sense of the world falling apart around her by writing to her deceased Muslim mother in the pages of her diary. I felt those influences more as an adult. These are the main characters from the How to Train Your Dragon Franchise [One] side of my family is Jewish, and I envied their solid sense of identity. There's a lot to write: India, where she lives with her father (a doctor), her twin brother, and her grandmother, is about to become independent. everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of The Night Diary. We assign a color and icon like this one to each theme, making it easy to track which themes apply to each quote below. Why was it important to you to end on a note where not everything is quite figured out?Again, I feel like that is more true to life, that whatever obstacles you’re facing, you move a little bit at a time. Nisha tells the story of her family’s experiences during the partition of India through daily entries in her diary, which she addresses to her deceased mother, “Mama.”. That curiosity manifested in The Night Diary, a middle-grade novel that illuminates the event. The Night Diary is a fictional account of one family's experience during the partition of India into two countries in 1947. Certainly the symbolic aspect of twins; they’re two halves of each other in a way in that some of their personal weaknesses they fill in for each other. 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