Zarina Divided

Ages 8 to 12, Grades 3 to 7

This stirring, powerful coming-of-age story from award-winning author Reem Faruqi (Unsettled) is about a Muslim girl who must learn to cope with loss, guilt, and change in order to grow. This novel-in-verse is based on Faruqi’s grandmother’s real-life experiences during the Partition of India. Young Zarina is heartbroken to leave her childhood home and best friends in Poona, India, when they are told Muslims, Sikhs, and Hindus need to separate by religion. After a harrowing journey with her family to Karachi, Pakistan, Zarina enters a boarding school in the mountains of Murree and wonders if she will ever feel at home again. Perfect for fans of Amil and the After and The Partition Project. 

Zarina loves her life in Poona, India. She spends her days happily hanging out with her best friends, Geeta and Jahana, and playing with her three brothers. However, Zarina and her family are given unsettling news: Muslims and Hindus are to separate by religion. Hindus are expected to stay in India, while Muslims are expected to move to a new land, Pakistan.Zarina is heartbroken at having to move away from all she knows and loves, and after the frightening journey to Pakistan, she feels unsure that the unfamiliar country will ever feel like home. When an accident happens that leaves Zarina grappling with extreme guilt, she decides it’s best to attend boarding school far away, much to the protest of her mother. Will a fresh start at a new school give Zarina the chance to thrive in Pakistan or will the divisions within herself and family continue to widen?From award-winning author Reem Faruqi comes a heartening coming-of-age story, inspired by her grandmother’s life, that reminds us that through overwhelming change can come the most beautiful growth.

About the Author

Reem Faruqi is the acclaimed author of Do You Even Know Me?, Call Me Adnan, Milloo's Mind, Anisa's International Day, Golden Girl, and Unsettled, which is loosely based on Reem’s own story. She is also the author of ALA Notable Books Lailah’s Lunchbox and Amira’s Picture Day and the award-winning I Can Help. Of Pakistani descent, Reem immigrated to Peachtree City, Georgia, in the United States from the United Arab Emirates when she was thirteen years old. Reem is also a teacher and photographer who loves to doodle. She lives in Atlanta with her husband and three daughters. Visit her online at reemfaruqi.com.