{"id":94243,"date":"2025-05-08T16:46:20","date_gmt":"2025-05-08T20:46:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/readingmiddlegrade.com\/?p=94243"},"modified":"2025-05-31T03:31:46","modified_gmt":"2025-05-31T07:31:46","slug":"zarina-divided-reem-faruqi-book-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/readingmiddlegrade.com\/zarina-divided-reem-faruqi-book-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Review | Zarina Divided"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Zarina Divided<\/h2><\/div>
By Reem Faruqi<\/div><\/div>
Age <\/span>10+<\/span><\/div>\n
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A transporting coming-of-age story set against the background of India’s Partition.<\/p> <\/div>\n\n\n\n

Historical<\/a><\/div><\/div>
288<\/span> pages <\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Summary: Zarina Divided<\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Zarina’s life changes when her family is forced to move from Poona to Karachi after the Indian Partition. This story chronicles the family’s dangerous move to Karachi, Zarina’s move to a boarding school far from Karachi after a painful mistake, and her struggle to stay open to people, regardless of their religion or race, despite the many prevailing prejudices at the time. <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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The Good<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This story is a welcome addition to the scant line-up of stories about the Partition of India<\/strong>. Unlike most of the stories I’ve read, which focus on Hindu Indians fleeing the new country of Pakistan to India, Faruqi’s book tells the story of a Muslim Indian family fleeing Poona, India, to Karachi, Pakistan. Readers will see how some of Zarina’s close friends and neighbors change as hostility begins to brew in India and witness the gruesome sights her family experiences during their arduous journey from India to Pakistan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although the Partition makes up the major inciting event of the story, this book is about more than that historical event. Zarina’s family eventually settles in Pakistan, and she decides to go to a boarding school<\/strong> after making a hurtful mistake. There, a new chapter of her life begins with schoolmates from different walks of life, and while the story slows down to a slice-of-life pace, Zarina learns plenty about acceptance, tolerance, and fighting back against prejudice<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally, this book features some beautiful writing <\/strong>— not in the sense of quaint writing, but more in the way it is immersive. Faruqi’s words and poetry bring the setting to life and it was not at all difficult to see Zarina in my mind’s eye and be in awe of the beautiful landscapes, particularly when she goes off to boarding school. Very often, verse novels can feel like fragmented prose, but this one reads like poetry.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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OVERALL:<\/span> Zarina Divided<\/em><\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Zarina Divided<\/em> is a transporting coming-of-age story set against the background of India’s Partition. Following a young protagonist through life’s defining moments, this book touches on timeless themes such as friendships, family relationships, and forgiving yourself after a mistake. Sweetly, this book is inspired by the author’s grandmother’s experiences and includes real-life photos at the end, which young readers are sure to find endlessly fascinating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Star Rating<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Content Notes<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

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Content Warnings<\/h3>\n\n\n\n