Lion of the Sky
HarperCollins · Hardcover · May 7, 2024
An evocative historical novel in verse about a boy and his family who are forced to flee their home and become refugees after the British Partition of India.
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- Who it’s for
- A novel in verse brings Partition’s upheaval close through one boy’s changing sense of home.
- Themes
- Identity and belonging, Hope amid upheaval, Refugee displacement
- Genres
- Historical Asia, Immigration & Moving, Faith & Religion
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Start with this bookAbout this book
An evocative historical novel in verse about a boy and his family who are forced to flee their home and become refugees after the British Partition of India. Perfect for fans of Other Words for Home. Twelve-year-old Raj is happiest flying kites with his best friend, Iqbal. As their kites soar, Raj feels free, like his beloved India soon will be, and he can’t wait to celebrate their independence.
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But when a British lawyer draws a line across a map, splitting India in two, Raj is thrust into a fractured world. With Partition declared, Hindu, Sikh, and Muslim families are torn apart—and Raj’s Hindu and Iqbal’s Muslim families are among them. Forced to flee and become refugees, Raj’s family is left to start over in a new country. After suffering devastating losses, Raj must summon the courage to survive the brutal upheaval of both his country and his heart. Inspired by the author’s true family history, Lion of the Sky is a deeply moving coming-of-age tale about identity, belonging, and the power of hope.
History, Close Up
A novel in verse brings Partition’s upheaval close through one boy’s changing sense of home.
Come here for
- A personal lens on Partition and displacement
- Questions of identity, belonging, and hope
Expect
- Coming-of-age shaped by family history
- An intimate verse narrative
Where it sits
| Immigration & Moving | 97% |
|---|---|
| Historical Asia | 80% |
| Faith & Religion | 36% |
Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.
Publisher categories
- Family Stories
- Historical Asia
- Stories Set in Asia
- Big Feelings
Show all 8 publisher categories
- Friendship
- Prejudice & Racism
- Immigration & Moving
- Faith & Religion
- Authors
- Ritu Hemnani
- Publisher
- HarperCollins
- Published
- May 7, 2024
- Format
- Hardcover
- Theme
- Identity and belonging · Hope amid upheaval · Refugee displacement
- Reading lane
- Family Stories