The Stories Grandma Forgot (and How I Found Them) by Nadine Aisha Jassat - #bookreview #NetGalley

 

Today in English,

the teacher asked us to write about who we are.

I could see my friend Jess

scribbling next to me,

her pen moving fast across the page.

I looked up at the prompt on the board, the words 'I Am' standing out like a challenge,

like they're asking for something more than I really understand...

***

Twelve-year-old Nyla's dad died when she was four, or that's what she's been told. So when Grandma Farida insists she saw him in the supermarket, Nyla wonders if she is 'time-travelling' again - the phrase she uses when Grandma forgets.

But when Grandma asks Nyla to find her dad and bring him home, Nyla promises that she will.

As Nyla sets out on her journey, she hopes that uncovering the past will help her to understand the mystery at the heart of her family ... and to work out who she is.

A page-turning verse novel about memory and identity, and a bond that soars above all else.

***

This book for children has been beautifully written in verse and was a joy to read.

The main character, Nyla, is portrayed extremely well. She assists in caring for her grandmother who has Altzheimers and is a loving and dependable girl.

When asked to write a school project about her favourite family member, Nyla sees this as the perfect opportunity to write about her father who passed away a few years before, and find out more about him. However, when Nyla's grandmother, claims to have recently seen her son, Nyla questions whether he really has died or whether he just left them.

The book was very moving and there were several times when I wanted to give Nyla a hug and tell her it was all going to be okay. Thankfully, the author provides some strong role models in whom Nyla can ultimately find emotional safety.

Written with compassion and sensitivity, the author deals with themes of racism, bullying and how we can understand our place in the world.

It is a perfect addition to children's book shelves, and I highly recommend it.

ISBN: 978 1510111578

Publisher:  Orion Children's Books

Formats:  e-book and paperback

No. of Pages:  240 (paperback)

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Age: Middle Grade (8 - 12)

About the Author:

Nadine Aisha Jassat is the author of acclaimed poetry collection Let Me Tell You This, and her work has been published widely in popular anthologies such as Picador’s It’s Not About the Burqa (Shortlisted for Foyles Non-Fiction Book of the Year), and Bloodaxe's Staying Human. Her work has drawn significant acclaim, including being shortlisted for the Edwin Morgan Poetry Award, a Herald Scottish Culture Award for Outstanding Literature, and winning a Scottish Book Trust New Writers Award.  

​Nadine has taught and performed internationally and across media, from taking part in Edinburgh International Book Festival’s Outriders Africa to appearing in BBC’s The Big Scottish Book Club, and has completed writers’ residencies taking her from the bright stage of Lagos International Poetry Festival to the quiet corners of Scottish school libraries. She regularly delivers engaging and powerful creative practice, and is a seasoned events chair. 

​Nadine's debut verse novel The Stories Grandma Forgot (And How I Found Them) is a gripping middle-grade mystery that shines a light on Alzheimer’s and identity, released in May 2023 with Hachette Children’s Group.

(ARC courtesy of NetGalley)

(photo and author bio courtesy of the author's webiste) - https://www.nadineaishaj.com/about

 

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*Disclosure: I only recommend books I would buy myself and all opinions expressed here are my own. This post contains an affiliate link from which I may earn a small commission.