Lion of the Sky by Ritu Hemnani: Book Review
In honor of Indian Independence Day which is celebrated on the 15th day of this month, I read Lion of the Sky by Ritu Hemnani, a novel in verse that takes place during and after India’s independence.
Lion of the Sky centers around the Partition of India and follows Raj, a Hindu boy who loves to fly kites with his Muslim friend Iqbal. Raj dreams of making his father proud by winning the annual Kite Festival. But when the British draw an arbitrary line through India, splitting it into a majority Hindu India and a majority Muslim Pakistan, Raj’s family is forced to flee their home and everyone they know, including Iqbal’s family. Raj must learn to hold on to himself, his family and his friends as tightly as to the string of his beloved kites.
One aspect of the book that surprised me was that Raj repeatedly refers to the many Gods that he prays to, and contrasts it with Islamic monotheism. I have been raised with a different understanding of Hinduism and Vedanta, and was always told that there is only one God but that God is both formless and capable of taking any form, and is present everywhere.
Lion of the Sky weaves in an unusual extended metaphor: kites (or lions of the sky). It could serve as a great way to introduce students to the idea of extended metaphors and to encourage them to create and use an extended metaphor of their own in an essay, narrative poem or short story. Mother to Son by Langston Hughes is a moving poem that exemplifies the use of this poetic device.
Some of my favorite lines from Lion of the Sky use this extended metaphor:
“Did you know / that a kite rises highest / when it flies against the wind?” (Hemnani 119)
“Hold on tight! / we say together. / Soon the wind / will change in your favor, / just as long as you / don’t let go.” (Hemnani 145)
“Holding each other’s arms, / they hear the words / their lips do not speak [...]” (Hemnani 197)
This novel in verse would pair well with Veera Hiranandani’s Newbery Honor-winning title, Night Diary, and Amil and the After (the sequel to Night Diary).
Photo by Leo Shek
Biography:
Ritu Hemnani is a journalist, teacher, voice actor, and motivational speaker. She recognizes herself as ethnically Indian and a British national and calls Hong Kong her home, where she lives with her husband and three children. Lion of the Sky is Ritu’s debut middle grade novel. You can find her online at rituhemnani.com.