78 pages 2 hours read

Veera Hiranandani

The Night Diary

Fiction | Novel | YA | Published in 2018

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.

Before You Read

Roundup icon

Super Short Summary

In The Night Diary by Veera Hiranandani, 12-year-old Nisha journals her family's perilous journey from Pakistan to new India during the 1947 partition. As tensions rise between Hindus and Muslims, Nisha’s family faces violence, displacement, and loss, but also remnants of hope and unity. Themes of identity, family, and resilience are poignantly explored from Nisha's perspective. The book includes references to violence and trauma.

Reviews & Readership

Roundup icon

Review Roundup

Veera Hiranandani's The Night Diary is praised for its captivating portrayal of India's partition through a young girl's perspective, offering a tender and educational view on the era. The diary format effectively engages readers, though some find it predictable. Despite minor predictability, it remains an evocative, valuable read for young audiences.

Who should read this

Who Should Read The Night Diary?

A reader who would enjoy The Night Diary by Veera Hiranandani is typically a middle-grade student interested in historical fiction, particularly about the 1947 Partition of India. Fans of The Breadwinner by Deborah Ellis or I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai will appreciate the book’s compelling narrative and cultural significance.

RecommendedReading Age

8-12years

Lexile Level

700L

Book Details

Genre

Historical Fiction

Children's Literature

Indian Literature

Themes

Relationships: Family

Topics

History: World