I was very intrigued by the cover of this book. Less so with the actual story. It had loads of potential. We have family secrets, culture clash, and an element of magic. But it doesn't quite live up to its potential. Everything Chanani is trying to achieve is admirable. But it's very surface. Who exactly are the magical figures? Explain their significance to the culture/religion. We do get some exploration of the culture in India, but really only surface. I wanted deep, guttural reactions. Just more.

Pashmina is a great book to use to introduce students to other cultures. Wonderful art and a very interesting story.

There aren't enough books in the world like PASHMINA by Nidhi Chanani, and its message is spectacular. The story follows Priyanka, a first generation Indian-American girl curious to learn more about her culture.

Pri doesn't know much about the country she came from, and her mother never talks about it. She immigrated to the USA while pregnant, and Pri has never known another life. She has an ordinary life until the day she finds a pashmina shawl in a suitcase and slips it on...only to be transported to India. Everything is glittery and perfect, and Pri begins coveting a life she never knew. She convinces her mother to let her visit India and meet her amuse, but will the country answer her questions or leave her with more of them?

PASHMINA explores identity: Who we are, where we come from. Pri is so curious about her past and wants to find answers for herself. Going to India changes her in ways she never expects. The trip also changes her upon her return and helps her grow up in unexpected ways.

At its heart, PASHMINA is a family story. Pri has a lot of conflict with her mom. India is a very different country for girls to grow up in than the USA, which leads to strife. The first panel (see above) with Pri's mom freaking out as she learns to drive is something any teen can relate to. Pri is also exceptionally close to her uncle, whom she views as the father-figure in her life. When he finds out that his wife is pregnant, the new baby changes the relationship between them. Pri experiences what one might if getting a sibling for the first time. She no longer has all his attention, and it's a struggle to adjust. I really liked this element, especially since it's a topic so infrequently explored at an older age.

One of my favorite elements of PASHMINA was the way it transitioned from black and white to color. The magical and spiritual elements are all in vibrant color, whereas day-to-day life is in black and white. It's easy to tell when the story turns into its various paths based on the color and is a creative way to capture a reader's attention. I really liked this transition!

I also really liked all of the culture infused into the graphic novel, from clothing to food to expressions used in daily life. It added authenticity to the story and really helped immerse me in the culture it was introducing me to. It dealt with the struggle to fit in, to discover yourself, to discover your past, to learn about your family. There were so many great themes, and the story finished too soon for my liking. I would have loved to continue visiting with Pri and her family and falling into the magical world of the pashmina shawl.

PASHMINA was so much fun to read, and I look forward to more works from Nidhi Chanani in the future. This debut graphic novel is definitely one worthy of being in classroom libraries and taught in schools across the country. It's so relatable and will appeal to readers, even reluctant ones, due to its fun visual format and compelling characters.

Pashmina is a beautiful book about family and understanding your past. Readers will connect with Pri and her desire to want to know more about her mother's heritage and her own connection with India. Pri's mother has always refused to tell her much about India and she's desperate to know more. This book stands out because of the scenes where Pri is magically transported to India when she finds a magical pashmina.. The reader is also taken along the journey. I loved that the dreamlike pashmina sequences were in vivid color compared to the rest of the black and white book.. This story can serve as an introduction to feminism and the choices women can make for younger middle grade readers. It's also includes great information about India and Indian culture without presenting it as an "other". Readers of all ages will connect with this book.

I think this is one of the rare times I am rating a book so low and its mainly because I couldn't get any of the graphics to appear on my computer/iPad so for my to review this arc it was really hard because I had more blank pages then text. It sounds like a great story line. I guess i will need to go and check out the finished copy and the bookstore.

A young girl, Priyanka, seeks answers about her father and where she comes from. When she finds a magic pashmina, she is able to experience other places, and the graphic novel appears in color. One cannot help but smile in these moments, because they are so carefree and joyful. They give Priyanka courage to look for answers in the real world and cause her to mend family relationships and come to important understandings, which is very satisfying to see. This short book is an absolute treat, and I hope to read more like this one.

What a gorgeous story. This book introduces you to a fantastical India and a realistic one, one of memories and one of history. It shows you some religious practices, foods, and a little bit of language. It weaves a story that is at once dreamy and full of true-to-life family relationships, concerns, and situations. I enjoyed this first-generation American perspective but I also identified with the universal parts of the story such as the mother-daughter dynamics. Highly recommended for just about everyone, middle grades and up.

Pashmina is a great graphic novel for young adults. This one left me very hungry, I can't stop thinking about samosas!

The themes are concise and thoughtful as Priyanka learns more about herself, her mother, and the world around her. I particularly liked that the narrative plays with and doesn't gloss over difficult subject matter, Priyanka and her mother describe it as the guide book versus reality. The guide book beauty of a place is shown in full color, when the true nature of these visions is revealed the full color illustrations take on a new, deep, and beautiful meaning. The lives of women in India are explored in many ways and Priyanka is exposed to many new ideas, often through very subtle storytelling. For example, Meena's interactions with her husband are very subtle, but his influence over her decisions is powerful. Overall, a very thoughtful and hopeful book that introduces many ideas that are appropriate for young adults to explore.

I had the chance to see Nidhi speak at SDCC and have been anxiously awaiting Pashmina's release since! I absolutely loved this sweet story and recommend it to anyone looking to learn a little more about Indian culture.

Pashmina is the story of Priyanka, an Indian-American girl who is like most teens - troubling to communicate with her mother and trying to figure out who she is. She's curious about India and her father. Whenever she asks about them, her mom changes the subject. Nidhi uses facial expressions from panel to panel to show that there's more going on than Pri and the reader know.

Before we can blink, Pri finds herself transported to the colorful land of India, brought on by a mysterious pashmina that was tucked away. The use of color versus the monotone of the contemporary world will transport readers into this universe. The pashmina opens up not only a world but a door to the answers she has been seeking.

I enjoyed the flow and length of Pashmina. I loved the glossary of terms at the end and also Nidhi's use of Indian terms within the text. It's short and sweet and to the point, making it an enjoyable read for all ages!

A charming and unique graphic novel that both highlights the importance of finding your roots, but also demonstrates the universal nature of being a teen.

Thanks to Net Galley for the digital review copy of this title - all opinions are my own.

I absolutely fell in love with Priyanka and her oh-so-familiar struggles with driving, friends and family. What makes this book so special, though, is the magical pashmina that helps Priya begin to ask questions about her Indian heritage, as well as her experiences reconciling her life in the US and her mother's history in India. The depiction of her trip to India will be a great for expanding world view for many US readers, and will be so relatable for readers who have experienced this themselves. In addition, Pashmina is an incredibly fast read, which will make the story accessible to all middle grade readers.

I highly recommend this title for all middle grade classrooms and libraries.

Priyanka or “Pri” lives in a world where she does not fully understand who she is or where she came from. Her mom mysteriously left India and hasn’t spoken to their family in over a decade. Whenever Pri inquires about her Indian father, her mother changes the subject. Both mother and daughter fail to understand each other’s motivations, creating an angsty relationship. While struggling with her identity, the sphere of Pri’s family also starts to see cracks. Her Uncle Jatin, a father-like figure that picks her up from school and takes her on special Indian foodie adventures, and his wife are having their first baby. With her world falling apart, Pri prays to the goddess Shakti, a silent wish that changes her outlook on life and current and almost self-destructive course. With such serious tones, add in a magical pashmina made from Indian golden thread, and Pri finds herself on a more whimsical journey of self-discovery. Pri visits the fantastical, idealist, and tourist version of India as well as the realistic homeland, ultimately returning to America with a new sense of culture and self.

A tale of South Asian diaspora and non-traditional families, Pashmina is a perceptive graphic novel for middle grade students and mature elementary school aged readers. With First Second Books, reviewers and readers can count on a well-written and researched as well as sensitive and intuitive story. The black and white comic strip graphics juxtaposed with the Bollywood colors beautifully portray this “otherness” and sense of a globalizing falsehood about imagined tourist India, similar to Kincaid’s experiences in Antigua in A Small Place. As Pri’s classmates call her “Thrift Store,” readers witness racism and classism. Chanani has created a unique multicultural story that works for reluctant readers and those struggling with heritage and family. Most notably, Priyanka is a fearless female protagonist who has faults of jealousy and immaturity but also thrives artistically and in her convictions. The pairing of fantasy and realistic fiction via graphic novel format brings this story home, literally and figuratively.

I would like to thank NetGalley and First Second Books for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. Pashmina is set to publish October 3, 2017.

Pashmina by Nidhi Chanani (First Second Books, 2017)

Priyanka is a somewhat typical 2nd generation immigrant teen. She struggles to find her place between American and Indian cultures. But she also has some other not as typical struggles. She hesitates to believe her artwork is as great as her teacher tells her it is, she’s never known her father and her mother won’t tell her anything about him, thus she craves the attention of her Uncle Jatin and then worries that she’ll lose his attention to his new baby. And in the midst of all her worries and questions, she finds a pashmina (a scarf) that transports her to India when she wears it. Each time an elephant and peacock serve as her guides but seem to be hiding a secret. The pashmina opens new questions about her mom and her family in India she’s never met, and where the magical pashmina came from.

Oh man, I wanted this to be twice as long as it was! I felt like there were so many areas that could have had more details. I sincerely hope Priyanka gets some more books. More books or not, I’m so happy this is hitting shelves soon. I have several Indian students at our school who have been waiting for a book like this. It has a relatable and likable main character, a good blend of Indian culture and vocabulary, some fantasy rooted in Indian religion and mythology, and an overall good message. The art style is very appealing, and I loved the way it went from blue tones to full color whenever someone put on the pashmina and used sepia tones to indicate a flashback. As mentioned, I have Indian students who will love this as well as many others from all over the rest of the world. I’m going to have to buy multiple copies for our library to keep the readers happy.

As a typical American teenager, Pri (Priyanka Das) has a lot of questions. As the child of a single, Indian immigrant mother, she has many unanswered questions: Why did her mother leave India? What was India like? Who is her father, and why did her mom leave him? Unfortunately Pri’s mom avoids answering these questions—putting a strain on their relationship and further piquing Priyanka’s interest, as India seems to call to her.

Just when mother and daughter seem to be at an impasse, Pri finds a mysterious pashmina that holds the answers to her questions and transports her back to the seat of her heritage. But is this the real? In order to gain the answers that she craves, Pri must travel farther than she’s ever dared—physically, intellectually, and spiritually.

I highly recommend this graphic novel. Its heartwarming navigation of the quotidien terrain of maturation, the hardship of self-discovery, and the adolescent tendency to rail against the confines of familial authority are couched in an exotic context and, thereby, acknowledge the additional layer of complexity born from juggling two cultures and two worlds while emphasizing the universal plight of growing up. Readers would like this book if they like… Realistic Ficiton, Low Fantasy, or Magical Realism. And, lovers of the the Bad Machinery series could easily envision Pri involved in the wacky hijinks of its diverse cast of characters.

If teachers were to teach this book as part of their course, they should be aware that it:
- would be great for middle grade and early high school (6-9th grade).
- has a strong, yet realistic, female protagonist.
- addresses a nontraditional family structure.
- highlights the significance and import of varied family relationships (mother-daughter, family of birth, family of choice, etc.).
- depicts non-christian religious beliefs.
- ilustrates the potential difficulties of growing up bi-cultural.
- is almost allegorical in its execution; could be perceived as a little heavy-handed and “preachy.”

This is a sweet and beautiful story that I think will appeal to lots of middle-grade kids.

Pashmina by Nidhi Chanani is a graphic novel currently scheduled for release on October 3 2017. This book tells the story of an Indian-American girl named Priyanka. She struggles to fit in at high school and dreams of visiting India, her mother' home country. She finds a beautiful Pashmina which transports her there, but it is much different there than it actually is. She gets her chance to finally go to India and it's not exactly how she thought it would be.

Pashmina is a much needed graphic novel, as it gives insight and an honest portrayal to what life is like to how an Indian-American girl might struggle with her dual identity, and the struggles we all face in finding ourselves and our place in the world we find ourselves in. Her desire to know about her family, and her mother's past is relatable, and adds a sense of drive and yearning to the story. I felt that the fact that her mother's reluctance to share information with Pri results in exactly what denying any teenager something this important, Pri's utter determination to have what she feels she needs. Most of the story is in black and white, but I liked how the illustrations change from the grayscale showing Pri's real life to vivid colors in the fantasy scenes. While I enjoyed the story, and that it delivers a message about women choosing their own future combined with the interest and embracing of their heritage and background, I did have some trouble follow the action of the story on occasion. It is still a wonderful read, and one I think will be an important read for many.

Pashmina is a charming read, and one that tells a story that is important and poignant. I think this is a must buy for both public and high school libraries.

I absolutely LOVE Chanani's use of color! Using color only in the sections where the pashmina is showing characters a fake reality is just amazing! I love when a children's book has a moral, but it's not overtly written, such that kids get the idea, but they don't feel like they're being preached to. I think Pashima hits this happy medium perfectly. I love that the overlying theme of the story is fairly obvious: reality is often different from expectations. At the same time, it doesn't feel like I'm being smacked in the face with that idea, which as an adult, I appreciated and I think children will unknowingly appreciate. I can see why this book has so many amazing reviews and I'm glad to have pre-ordered it already for my library!

I was absolutely absorbed in this one. Beautifully illustrated, with characters that I was interested in, and just a touch of magic. I loved the links to Indian deities, the exploration of what makes India what it is, and how we imagine it. The main character is flawed, but wonderful, and her relationships with everyone, particularly her mother, were real and complex. I absolutely adored this and I hope the author continues to make beautiful graphic novels.

Review based on a digital galley provided via Netgalley.

4 stars

This is a wonderfully drawn story of Priyanka, a young Indian-American girl who is struggling with her identity. There is a mystery as to why her mother came to America, one she will not share. When one day Priyanka finds a pashmina in her mother’s old suitcase, she is transported to India (in her mind). This pashmina has magical powers – powers to show one what is possible. I don’t want to give too much away about the pashmina, or about Priyanka’s story, but I will say that this story is an empowering one. It is a story about coming to realize one’s place in the world, but also to embrace all sides of one’s self and the power that lies within each person. It is an especially empowering story for young girls who may not feel they have a voice, giving them the power to make choices about their lives.

The story is filled with love and caring. It is obvious that everyone in Priyanka’s life cares about her a great deal, from her friend at school, to her teacher, to her family in India – a family she has never met. As the book progresses, questions about her mother’s backstory are answered, as are questions about the magical pashmina, itself.

The style of the graphic novel is wonderful, with simple lines and easy to follow text. I especially like the effect that occurs when someone puts on the pashmina – the world becomes saturated with beautiful color.

While there were a few places where I wish the story had been fleshed out a little more, overall, I think the story was well laid out, providing a glimpse into a world many in America have not experienced. The universal story of finding one’s place in the world is a story that everyone can relate to and understand.

I was really looking forward to this one, and while I found it to be overall pleasant and readable, it's just missing that little something extra for me. You can tell it's supposed to be geared towards teens, but it reads much more like middle grade. The artwork is beautiful but on the simple side, and the story is interesting in concept but feels a little surface level. I'd say it feels like a slightly less polished Anya's Ghost.

This graphic novel is a perfect look into an Indian girl's navigation of her American life and her Indian history. Pri feels that she is being replaced by her new baby cousin. It has always been Pri, her mom, her aunt and her uncle. As the dynamics of her family begin changing, Pri starts asking more questions about her father and her mother's life in Indian. The desire to visit Indian becomes overwhelming, when she is transported there by a magical pashmina.

I love the color work in this graphic novel. It beautifully reinforces plot points. The story is sweet and interesting.