Review by Booklist Review
Kaur's sophomore novel revisits the engaging mother-daughter duo from her first novel, When You Ask Me Where I'm Going (2019), telling a story that should satisfy readers of the first novel who longed for more background on Kaur's well-drawn characters. It begins with Kiran flying from her home in Chandigarh to Canada on a student visa, all the while knowing there is a "tiny secret blossoming in my belly," by the man who raped her. A falling out with her parents follows when she decides to keep the child, a girl she names Sahaara, with the support of a chosen family. Throughout the pages, readers watch Kiran blossom from a timid teenager to a fiercely protective mother silently grappling with past demons. Kiran's perspective effortlessly switches to Sahaara's for a bulk of the pages, and her gradual growth into a woman capable of the strength her mother has always exuded is genuinely cheerworthy. Kaur's tighter prose, hard-hitting verse, and spare illustrations in this follow-up are sure to instill empathy and compassion in readers.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 7 Up--Introduced in Kaur's debut, When You Ask Me Where I'm Going, mother Kiran and daughter Sahaara return in this timely hybrid prose/verse novel that deftly addresses the perils of being undocumented and surviving sexual assault. Kiran enters Canada from India on a student visa, already pregnant with Sahaara after being raped by her would-be brother-in-law. Kiran chooses motherhood after severing ties with a family more concerned with saving face, then lives in relentless fear of discovery and deportation. Yet Kiran manages to raise Sahaara, who becomes a strong young woman who will someday inspire her mother to tell her truth. Punjabi Canadian Kaur returns to voice her sophomore title, enhancing her text with affecting accents, rhythms, pauses, and emotions exactly as she intended. Kaur's Kiran is reserved yet determined, Sahaara confident and outspoken. Alternating perspectives, Kaur's sensitive narration further enhances the mother/daughter bond. VERDICT A resonating #OwnVoices addition to #MeToo titles.--Terry Hong, Smithsonian BookDragon, Washington, DC
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
Punjabi teen Kiran Kaur lands in Canada with a terrible secret: She is pregnant with the child of the man who raped her. Although her mother tries to force her to get an abortion, Kiran decides to keep the baby. Abandoned by her family, Kiran moves in with her queer friend Joti and gives birth to a girl she names Sahaara. Unable to keep up with studying, raising a newborn, and paying rent, Kiran drops out of university, loses her student visa, and becomes undocumented. As Sahaara becomes a teen herself and discovers her family's secrets, she must learn how to protect her mother--and survive in a body she now associates with her mother's sexual assault. Following up on When You Ask Me Where I'm Going (2019), Kaur fills in details of both women's stories and personalities with care and grace. The plot is tightly woven and action packed, and readers will quickly become invested in their complex journeys. The book alternates between poetry and prose as well as between Kiran's and Sahaara's perspectives, though the majority is told from Sahaara's point of view. Sahaara's voice, in particular, is fresh, honest, and a pleasure to read. At times the prose feels overwritten, however overall this is a fast-paced story that will keep readers engaged. A thoughtful, loving examination of immigration, sexual assault, and chosen family. (Fiction. 14-18) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
