Hope in the Valley
Written by Mitali Perkins
Published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Twelve-year-old Indian-American Pandita Paul doesn’t like change. She’s not ready to start middle school and leave the comforts of childhood behind. Most of all, Pandita doesn’t want to feel like she’s leaving her mother, who died a few years ago, behind. After a falling out with her best friend, Pandita is planning to spend most of her summer break reading and writing in her favorite secret space: the abandoned but majestic mansion across the street.
But then the unthinkable happens. The town announces that the old home will be bulldozed in favor of new—maybe affordable—housing. With her family on opposing sides of the issue, Pandita must find her voice—and the strength to move on—in order to give her community hope.
Primary ISBN: 9780374388515
Publication Date: July 2023
Available As: Hardcover, Audiobook, eBook
Middle Grade, Age 08 or older
Community Represented: Bengali/Bengali American, Indian/Indian American
Themes: Audiobook, Cross-Group Friendship, Family Relationship: Parents, Family Relationship: Siblings, Own Voices/Lived Experience, Trauma & Healing: Death of Family or Friend
Setting: United States (California)
Character's Place in the Immigration Journey: Unknown
Book Creator(s) Connection to the Community Represented: Own Voices/Lived Experience
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