Pashmina by Nidhi Chanani

Hi everyone, this second post is about a delightful graphic read I discovered recently. I guess in the selection of the brightness of the cover spoke to me more than anything else. With everything to do with India, the story is also quite vivid and somewhat dreamlike!! If this has appealed to you, then read on…

Title: Pashmina

Author: Nidhi Chanani

Publication details: First Second; NY, 2017

ISBN: 9781626720879

What this book is about: Young Priyanka Das has grown up with many unanswered questions. Why did her mother abandon her home in India years ago? What was it like there? And most important, who is her father, and why did her mom leave him behind? But Pri’s mom avoids these questions – the topic of India is permanently closed. For Pri, her mother’s homeland can only exist in her imagination. That is, until she finds a mysterious pashmina tucked away in a forgotten suitcase. When she wraps herself in it, she is transported to a place more vivid and colourful than any guidebook or Bollywood film. But is this the real India? And what is that shadow lurking in the background? To learn the truth, Pri must travel farther than she’s ever dared and find the family she never knew. In this heartwarming debut, Nidhi Chanani weaves a tale about the hardship and self discovery that is born from juggling two cultures and two worlds.

My review: A lovely graphic novel about growing up in a diverse family with some fascinating fantasy elements!! I really loved the simple story here and the characters. The complex family issues are told in an effortless way and woven into a modern landscape. Loved the drawings and the play with colour to differentiate the magical and reality!!

My rating: 5 ⭐

Additional note: This title was nominated for the Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Children’s Literature in 2018.