Amil and the After - by Veera Hiranandani

About the Book

"In 1948, 12-year-old Amil, who is both Muslim and Hindu, struggles to find his place in Bombay, India, until his twin sister suggests he tell his story through drawings meant for their late mother as he tries to find hope and a sense of belonging in a chaotic world"--

Book Synopsis

A hopeful and heartwarming story about finding joy after tragedy, Amil and the After is a companion to the beloved and award-winning Newbery Honor novel The Night Diary, by acclaimed author Veera Hiranandani

At the turn of the new year in 1948, Amil and his family are trying to make a home in India, now independent of British rule.

Both Muslim and Hindu, twelve-year-old Amil is not sure what home means anymore. The memory of the long and difficult journey from their hometown in what is now Pakistan lives with him. And despite having an apartment in Bombay to live in and a school to attend, life in India feels uncertain.

Nisha, his twin sister, suggests that Amil begin to tell his story through drawings meant for their mother, who died when they were just babies. Through Amil, readers witness the unwavering spirit of a young boy trying to make sense of a chaotic world, and find hope for himself and a newly reborn nation.

Review Quotes

Praise for Amil and The After

A Kirkus Best Middle Grade Book of 2024
A School Library Journal Top 10 Audiobook of 2024
A Shelf Awareness 2024 Best Children's Books
2025 Jane Addams Peace Association Children's Book Award Finalist
Children's Book Council (CBC) 2025 Favorites Awards List (Children's favorite, 6th-8th grade)

★ "...a masterpiece of nuance, vulnerability, and emotional complexity. A quietly brilliant, deeply insightful story of living in uncertain times."
--Kirkus Reviews, starred review

★ "Searingly emotional... the fast-paced, multifaceted plot will keep readers engaged while bringing them to a satisfying resolution."--Booklist, starred review

★ "A tender companion to [Hiranandani's] 2019 Newbery Honor-winning The Night Diary... compelling." - Shelf Awareness, starred review

★ "Veera Hiranandani masterfully presents a powerful, unvarnished examination of difficult subject matter while paving the way forward with hope and love." - BookPage, starred review

★ "Hiranandani effortlessly incorporates the tastes, sights, sounds, and history of India in engaging prose...Accessible and engrossing, readers unfamiliar with the historic partition of India and Pakistan will nevertheless readily relate to a boy's yearning for stability in tumultuous times. A first purchase for all middle grade collections." - School Library Journal, starred review

"Masterly... a book about hope, about a boy and his father, both hurt and vulnerable, navigating their traumas and finally surviving -- apart and then together." - New York Times Book Review

"Fans of the previous title will appreciate this compassionate and thoughtful continuation of the family's story, while new readers can experience Amil's account of hope and survivor guilt as a standalone volume. " --- The Horn Book Magazine

About the Author

Veera Hiranandani, author of the Newbery Honor-winning The Night Diary, earned her MFA in creative writing at Sarah Lawrence College. She is the author of The Whole Story of Half a Girl, a Sydney Taylor Notable Book and a South Asia Book Award finalist, and How to Find What You're Not Looking For, winner of the Sydney Taylor Book Award and the New York Historical Society Children's History Book Prize. A former editor at Simon & Schuster, she now teaches in the Writing for Children and Young Adults MFA Program at The Vermont College of Fine Arts.