I love historical fiction and this book was perfect. I loved reading about Amil's journey. So many students don't know any life like Amil's. This book offers a window into another world for students to access and show empathy.

Veera Hiranandani's sequel, Amil and the After, offers a welcome return to the world established in The Night Diary. This time, we experience the aftermath of partition through the eyes of Amil, Nisha's twin brother. Set in early 1948, the story follows the family as they attempt to rebuild their lives in a newly independent India and extends to Mahatma Gandhi's assassination. While not quite as impactful as its predecessor, the book offers valuable insights into Amil's perspective and the family's ongoing struggle for normalcy.

I loved The Night Diary, mainly because it illuminated an event in history about which I had no knowledge. After reading other books about the same event, like The Partition Project by Saadia Faruqi, I appreciate Amil and the After even more. I think it tells an important story, namely what happens to people who are displaced and/or experience a tragedy AFTER it is all said and done. Some are able to recover, and some are not so lucky, which is very delicately portrayed in this book. I appreciate that the author showed both sides of the after-effects with the honesty that everyone who experiences a major tragedy will be forever changed. I will definitely be getting this book for my library.

12-year-old Amil is part-Muslim and part-Hindu. In the Night Diary, he was forced to move to India when the country was split. Now living in Bombay under British rule, his dad is working as a doctor again. Now struggling to find a way to call his new home, Amil longs for what he lost. Now he must adapt to his new life, make friends, and deal with new challenges of living in a new country. He is also dealing with the pressures from his dad to do well in school and learn about medicine. His twin sister, Nisha suggests he draw pictures for his deceased mother to express himself. Will he figure out a way to fit in? Will he find out who he is in a new country?

The plot is engaging, poignant, and well-written. The characters are relatable, realistic, and easy to sympathize with. The historical context adds depth to the story and helps to draw readers into the novel. Readers who like historical fiction, self-discover, and books about moving to somewhere new will want to pick this one up. Gr 3-7

Please note: This was a review copy given to us by Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. No financial compensation was received.

Having already read the Night Diary, I was intrigued to see what Hiranandani would do with this book and ended up liking and appreciating this one even more. So often, media, whether film, tv, or books, focus on the major events as they happen; they watch the tragedies after they unfold and look away once the conflict simmers down to a level where few have interest. The people involved in those events, however, do not get a chance to simply look away from their troubles once the flashy, immediate conflict ends. Rather, they have to live in the after. They have to put the pieces together and figure out how to move forward. In this book, Amil and his family attempt to just that. Hiranandani creates such a beautifully compelling character in Amil and the entire family while exposing the fact that people still struggle in the after and that those stories deserve to be told.

Amil and the After provides an age appropriate glimpse into some of the trauma that resulted from the migration, rising violence, and fears that resulted from the Partition of India and Pakistan. Amil, a twelve-year old who struggles to feel his father’s approval, provides important insights into the fallout of the Partition as he tries to make friends at his new school, adjusts to living in the city, and begins to become aware of the ways in which people allow divisions between people by religion and social class leads to harm. While there are many students in America who are the descendents of those who were directly impacted by this event and possibly have access to the stories, their western-born and other peers do not. This is an important work of historical fiction, and the author has done a thoughtful and careful job exploring the difficult feelings about even more difficult topics in an accessible, relatable, and meaningful way.

Thank you to Penguin Young Readers Group, Kokila, Netgalley, and the author for early access to this important story.

(Review posted on Goodreads and Amazon)

Amil and the After is a wonderful sequel to The Night Diary. The two books follow the story of twin brother and sister, Nisha and Amil, and their family as they leave Pakistan for India at the time of the partition. Night Diary tells the story of their heartbreaking and difficult journey from Pakistan from Nisha's point of view. Amil and the After tells the story of their new life from Amil's point of view. Though they find a more comfortable living situation than many refugees, their lives aren't easy. Amil and the After addresses many of the physical and emotional challenges that many faced as they crossed the new borders and began building new lives. The two books together tell a powerful tale.

This book is the sequel to the tale told of a family who must leave their home in 1947 during the partition of what became India and Pakistan as we know them today, The Night Diary. 12 year old Amil and his twin sister, Nisha , live in Bombay with their father, grandmother and a family friend who escaped with them. The children are hoping for safety and stability, although they are always aware of the pervasive political tensions. They befriend a refugee boy and helping him becomes an important part of their lives. Amil struggles in school but is a talented artist and very determined to overcome his fears and horrific memories of the family’s escape. The parallels between the hostility between Hindus and Muslims during the early days of India’s independence and today are sadly striking. The author introduces readers to many Indian words for foods and family members. The glossary was very informative and helpful! NetGalley provided this book for my honest review.

This story continues The Night Diary, though this one is told from Amil's point of view instead of his twin sister Nisha's. It is really important to have read that one first for a better understanding of their situation. After a harrowing trip out of what became Pakistan after The Partition, Amil and his family are living in Bombay. School is hard for Amil and he feels like his father is always disappointed in him. He finds solace in his drawings, using them to remember events like his sister used her diary. Amil feels very lucky that his family was able to escape and are now living comfortably. He asks some good questions about why certain people are luckier than others and what he should do with this luck. An excellent exploration of life in post-Partition India. Recommended for fans of the first book, grades 4 & up.

A follow up to The Night Diary, this book is told from younger brother and twin, Amil after Partition. I love that more attention is being given to the "after" of events rather than what was happening during the event.

Amil's journey is a quiet but powerful one that includes the death of Gandhi, a friendship, and some therapeutic drawing to still grieve the mother he never knew and still thinks about especially because his identity is wrapped up in his being half Muslim and half Hindu.

This book illuminates a part of India's history unknown to many of us. The characters make us care and feel deeply about what life was like after the Partition, especially for someone both Muslim and Hindu. Amil's art and struggles in school and at home make him very relatable for anyone undergoing challenges. History and empathy shine through this book.

India is free from British rule in 1948. Amil and his family is uncertain what that means and how it should feel. It is suggested to Amil to begin sharing his story through drawings. Amil is trying to make sense of the world that does not make any sense.

This novel shares what this timeperiod was like through a 12-year-old's eyes. I was not aware that this was a companion novel to "The Night Diary." This is an important topic; however, I was unsure how it added to the prior novel. Themes of racism, xenophobia, and death of a parent are shared in this story.

Amil is a young man who is being raised by his widowed doctor father. He has a very large family to help raise him. He has suffered through a lot of trauma and losses in his life.
I liked the way Amil speaks to you in the story and shares his experiences through his drawings. The honesty of his relationship with his mother through not ever having met her and the longing from him to keep her alive.
The before and The after references describe his life, his family and his religious community being forced to leave their homes in the effort for safety.
The aspect that makes this story unique is that it comes from a different kind of lifestyle that should be told and is shared with honesty . The cultural differences are shared and I encourage students to read this story. The story opens your eyes to the fact we are the same despite our religious differences.

I started this book not knowing it was a companion novel to The Night Diary. Once I realized that, I couldn't help but wonder why this was a choice to write a sequel for. It really didn't add anything to the original story and I found myself not as engaged as I was with The Night Diary. The writing/story line seemed a bit forced, even though this book's topic is important and could potentially appeal to kids looking for more after reading The Night Diary.

CW: Racism, Xenophobia, Islamophobia, Violence, Religious bigotry, War, Death of parent

I received an electronic ARC from PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group through NetGalley.
Hiranandani picks up Amil's story shortly after they have made it to their new home. The tensions remain high as India and Pakistan form their own countries. This sets the background for readers as they see how Amil and his family cope with their new environment. Both twins continue to learn in their own ways and each begins to share the ways they are coping with the past trauma. I appreciate how the author shares the variety of emotions they handle and the disfunction in their home as all five of them still need continued healing. Amil shares how fortunate they are and struggles to cope with the suffering all around them. Readers will see his compassion and care for a friend come through and lift the rest of the family to a place of more hope also.
Hiranandani offers readers a chance to see what this time period was like from a child's perspective. The violence is shared as part of their lives. Gandhi's assassination and funeral are part of the narrative as is the hatred and racial discord.

As a desi person myself, it was wonderful to see the topic of partiton being written about, especially directed towards kids. The book did not shy away from the darkness of what entailed after the Indepenence of India and newly created Pakistan but it was gentle enough for children to understand. The writing was perfect for the group it was aimed at which is children aged 8 and above. It flowed really well and i did love the sketches/ illustrations that we saw .
The Partition is an important topic to talk about especially to young desi children and these books are a good place to start.

I love that this book covers this topic. For many of my American middle school students, it's the first time they have read about this period in history (the partition of India and Pakistan after India's independence). Without having to know any context at all before reading the book, Hiranandani humanizes this story and packs the plot with emotion. I highly recommend this book for all middle school historical fiction collections.

Amil is between worlds, both Hindu and Muslim trying to make a home in a newly independent India. Amil's voice brims with courage to piece together broken understandings of his former life in Pakistan and his current world in Bombay.

Amil and the After is a lovely historical fiction for young adult readers, grades 8-12. Ask your students to link current events with Amil's journey. How do you think newcomers from across the world feel adjusting to uncertainty?

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review, which is below.

I was excited to read this book, as a companion to the Night Diary. It's been a while since I read that one, so I had to treat this one as a separate book as I couldn't rely on my memory.

I really enjoyed Amil's character, and the way he processes what is happening around him - a partition in 1948, a migration to a new home,, loss and the impact of British colonization. This is an important story for children in the west to read - as if children are learning about this important year in history it may be as simple as "India declared independence," and not making the connection with what partition did to Hindu and Muslim friends, neighbors, and families. They won't hear about fear and violence. And Hiranandani managed this story in an accessible and relatable way.

I would have loved a little closer perspective - the thoughts and sketches in Amil's diary were really wonderful, and as the text doesn't have a lot of dialogue, the closer insight may have deepened my bond with Amil. A very well done story and if memory serves, I liked this one the best of the two!

This was a wonderful compliment to Hiranandani's The Night Diary. Amil, his twin sister Nisha, their father, grandmother and servant are forced to flee their home in 1947 with the British partition of India and Pakistan. While The Night Diary, told through Nisha, gives the reader the experience of this forced migration, Amil and the After explores the family's life in Bombay at the start of 1948. A budding artist, Amil uses his art to document family life and the new experiences of this new, strange location. Although the country is now independent, the unrest continues, which he and his sister witness first hand. Amil and Nisha are half-Muslim, half-Hindu and had to leave their home as it was in what is now present day Pakistan and their father and grandmother are Hindu which means they cannot stay safely in the newly established country. Amil struggles to understand why their religion should matter, as their servant is Muslim and so was his mother. Amil also struggles with finding his place within the family as he struggles in school while his sister excels, which is important to their doctor father. I loved the family relationship and the frank discussions the adults had with the children about what was happening - when the family is caught in the middle of the riot, the reader felt the panic they felt and the confusion as to what and why it was happening. I would recommend this read to anyone who likes historical fiction, and feel it is a great way to begin the exploration on history outside of the Western normative. I highly recommend that you read The Night Diary prior to picking this up, but is not mandatory - it just enriches Amil's story all the more.