The Night Diary

78 pages • 2 hours read

The Night Diary

Fiction | Novel | YA | Published in 2018

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Introduction

Before Reading

During Reading

After Reading

During Reading

Reading Questions & Paired Texts

Reading Check and Short Answer Questions on key points are designed for guided reading assignments, in-class review, formative assessment, quizzes, and more.

CHAPTERS 1-10

Reading Check

1. Which adult does Nisha want to be like when she grows up, according to what she writes in her diary?

2. Why does a group of boys throw rocks at Amil and Nisha on their walk home from school, according to Amil?

3. With what activity was Nisha’s mother sometimes so invested when she was alive that she would forget to eat?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. Why is Nisha and her twin brother’s (Amil) birthday a bittersweet day?

2. Why does Nisha prefer writing to speaking?

3. Why does Nisha address her diary entries to Mama? What does this one-sided dialogue say about Nisha’s character?

Paired Resource

“The Night Diary Author Veera Hiranandani in Conversation with Editor”

In this 4-minute interview between Veera Hiranandani and the editor of the book, the author reveals her inspirations and motivations for writing The Night Diary.
Hiranandani discusses how making Mama a Muslim and Papa a Hindu was a conscious, authorial choice, made to highlight Spirituality Versus Religion.
What does Hiranandani say about the diary format of the novel? How does it contribute to the theme of spirituality/religion?

CHAPTERS 11-20

Reading Check

1. Why do Nisha and Amil take a secret path to school?

2. What school assignment that is below Nisha’s ability level does Dadi have Nisha and Amil complete?

3. What images does Amil etch into the soft wood walls of the garden shed?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. What misguided idea does Nisha have that she believes might help gain acceptance from both Hindus and Muslims? Why is her idea misguided?

2. Why is Amil hospitalized?

3. In what ways does Papa demonstrate change in this section of the novel?

Paired Resource

“India and Pakistan: What Was Partition?”

Al-Jazeera provides a 4-minute video overview of the violent process of partition, when India was split into two states (India and Pakistan). (Teacher-appropriate; not student-facing without teacher guidance; content warning: graphic images of violence and death of refugees; mentions rape and abduction of women)
In order to understand The Negative Effects of Displacement on Hindus and Muslims in India in 1947, it is crucial to understand the mechanics of partition and the decision-making process that worsened and inflamed the conflict between Hindus and Muslims in India.

CHAPTERS 21-30

Reading Check

1. What sign or meaning does Nisha attribute to her dreaming of Mama?

2. What food item does Kazi teach Nisha to make just before Papa’s party?

3. When Nisha gazes at herself in the mirror, in what element of her face does she see Mama?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. What does Nisha realize about Papa while he reads to her and Amil from the Mahabharata storybook?

2. When Nisha asks Papa what caused the fighting between Hindus and Muslims, how does Papa respond? Why does he respond in this way?

3. When India gains its official independence from British rule on August 15, 1947, how does Nisha feel?

Paired Resource

“India’s Involvement in WWII”

European narratives around World War II tend to dominate the conversation. This article discusses India’s involvement in the war and establishes context for some of the interplay between nations post war.
In The Night Diary, Nisha comes to realize how certain identities can serve to bring people together or violently tear them apart, thus underscoring the book’s overall theme around Religious and Cultural Identities and Defining the Self.
How does what you’ve read in The Night Diary so far shed new light on non-European experiences of World War II?

CHAPTERS 31-39

Reading Check

1. As Nisha and her family leave Mirpur Khas, what regret is on her mind?

2. What precious resource does Amil lose for the family?

3. From what condition does everyone in the family except for Papa suffer?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. What role does Nisha’s mother play as the family makes the difficult journey to Rashid Uncle’s house?

2. How does the author parallel Papa’s relationship with Amil to that of Nisha’s relationship with Dadi? Why is this parallel significant?

3. How does the trek across the hot, desolate desert end up bringing the family closer together?

CHAPTERS 40-50

Reading Check

1. When Nisha imagines her home in Mirpur Khas being inhabited by a new family, what toy does she envision a little girl finding?

2. How does Nisha learn about Gandhi’s fast for peace?

3. What vegetable that is considered a rare treat by Nisha and her family does Rashid Uncle bring home?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. What is the significance of Rashid Uncle’s cleft palate?

2. For Nisha, why is cooking with Rashid Uncle different than cooking with Kazi? How does Nisha feel about her time cooking with Rashid Uncle?

3. How is it ironic or humorous that Amil says it’s “brilliant” that Nisha might be making a new friend in the little girl next door to Rashid Uncle’s house?

Paired Resource

“1 City, 2 People—and India’s Widening Religious Divide”

This Associated Press story from April 2023 describes the growing divide between Hindus and Muslims within India.
In describing the history of this divide, the article touches upon the theme Religious and Cultural Identities and Defining the Self.
How has life for Indian Muslims evolved since 1947, when The Night Diary is set? Is there anything surprising to you in this article regarding how the conflict has changed (or not) over the years?

CHAPTERS 51-60

Reading Check

1. What mode of transportation do Nisha and her family use to get to Jodhpur?

2. How does Nisha react to the violence she witnesses aboard the train, when Hindus, Muslims, and Sikhs begin fighting violently with one another?

3. Where do Nisha and her family stay when they first arrive in Jodhpur, and who secures this lodging for them?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. What is unique about the chapter in which Nisha directs any reader to send the diary to Kazi, in terms of the novel’s diary structure? What effect does this have on the book?

2. Toward the end of the novel, why do Papa and Dadi no longer care if Nisha is a cook when she grows up?

Recommended Next Reads

Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhhà Lai

Inspired by the author’s real-life experience as a refugee fleeing Vietnam after the Fall of Saigon, Inside Out and Back Again is a coming-of-age story dealing with family, grief, and immigration from a young person’s view.
As Lai’s family makes their way from Vietnam to Alabama, the book touches upon The Negative Effects of Displacement.
Like The Night Diary, Inside Out and Back Again is also a Newbery Honor Award winner, told from the perspective of a child.
Inside Out and Back Again on SuperSummary

Autobiography: The Story of My Experiments with Truth by Mahatma Gandhi

Originally published in 1948, Gandhi’s autobiography details his non-violent resistance of British rule over India, which served as the defining fight for Indian citizens in the 20th century.
Papa’s spiritual and political leanings are aligned with Gandhi’s: He believes in non-violence and Indian unity, regardless of whether one identifies as Hindu or Muslim. In this way, Gandhi’s influence relates to Religious and Cultural Identities and Defining the Self in The Night Diary.
The Story of My Experiments with Truth on SuperSummary

Reading Questions Answer Key

CHAPTERS 1-10

Reading Check

1. Kazi (Chapter 3)

2. Because Amil and Nisha are Hindu (Chapter 6)

3. Painting (Chapter 8)

Short Answer

1. The day is bittersweet because it also marks the anniversary of Nisha and Amil’s mother’s death. (Chapter 1)

2. Nisha prefers writing because she can compose her words carefully. With speaking aloud, once the words are spoken, you can’t take them back. (Chapter 4)

3. Nisha’s mother tragically passed away before the action of the story commences. Writing her diary entries addressed to Mama helps Nisha construct a relationship with her. This one-sided dialogue shows Nisha’s deep desire to connect with her mother and to fill the void of maternal love she longs for. (Chapters 1-10)

CHAPTERS 11-20

Reading Check

1. To avoid Amil being picked on by a certain group of boys (Chapter 12)

2. Write the alphabet (Chapter 17)

3. Images of Nisha’s and his family (Chapter 18)

Short Answer

1. Nisha begins telling everyone at school that her father is Hindu and her mother was Muslim, thinking that both groups will accept her. This backfires, however, and she and Amil continue to get teased. (Chapter 13)

2. Amil ran from the boys who want to hurt him. He lost his sandal while fleeing them, and he was stung by a scorpion. (Chapter 15)

3. Nisha reflects on how Papa used to throw parties and how he used to be happier. Now, with the impending partition, Papa is worried. He carries the burden of getting his family to safety. (Chapters 11-20)

CHAPTERS 21-30

Reading Check

1. That Mama is listening to her (Chapter 21)

2. Samosas (Chapter 23)

3. Her smile (Chapter 25)

Short Answer

1. Nisha realizes that Papa is scared and lonely. She recognizes that Papa misses the time he had with Mama, in a way that is similar to how Nisha misses the time she never got to have with Mama. (Chapter 22)

2. Rather than explaining the politics behind the conflict, Papa tells the story of the courtship between him and Mama. (Chapter 23) He addresses the question this way because he realizes there is no good reason for the fighting between Hindus and Muslims.

3. Nisha does not understand what it means to be “free” from the British. Even though Britain has ruled over India for 200 years, she does not feel British. (Chapter 27)

CHAPTERS 31-39

Reading Check

1. Nishi wishes she would’ve said one last goodbye to Kazi. (Chapter 31)

2. Water (Chapter 32)

3. Dehydration (Chapter 33)

Short Answer

1. Nisha talks to her mother in her head as they make their way to Rashid Uncle’s house, asking questions about Rashid Uncle and about being both Hindu and Muslim. Nisha sees Mama as a guiding force, helping lead the way to Rashid Uncle’s home. (Chapter 37)

2. Nisha takes Dadi’s presence for granted, having always expected that Dadi would be available to take care of her; only when Dadi falls ill can Nisha truly appreciate her. This parallels Papa’s presumptions about Amil’s maturity, which change as their challenges continue; for example, instead of demanding an adult response, Papa wipes away Amil’s tears after Amil spills the family’s reserve of water. This parallel emphasizes the fact that, for Nisha and her family, unconditional, familial love is most important of all. (Chapters 31-39)

3. Running out of water in the desert presents the family with their greatest shared challenge. The desperation, the fear of loss, and the willingness to sacrifice are all factors that, ironically, end up uniting the family. Their priorities shift; each family member is able to truly appreciate one another. (Chapters 31-39)

CHAPTERS 40-50

Reading Check

1. Nisha’s doll, Dee (Chapter 41)

2. Nisha reads about Gandhi’s fast for peace in the newspaper. (Chapter 44)

3. Sweet potatoes (Chapter 47)

Short Answer

1. The cleft palate means that Rashid Uncle can’t speak, he can only write. Like Amil and Mama, Rashid Uncle is an artist, and like Nisha, he likes to cook. Nisha sees parallels between herself and her quiet Rashid Uncle, which makes her feel close to her mother. (Chapter 40)

2. Rashid Uncle and Nisha work in silence. Nisha enjoys cooking with Rashid; she is desperate to ask him questions about Mama, but she can’t get the words out. (Chapter 42)

3. Used in this context, “Brilliant” is a common British colloquialism. Using this bit of British slang is an inside joke between Nisha and Amil, poking fun at their British colonialist rulers of India. (Chapter 46)

CHAPTERS 51-60

Reading Check

1. Train (Chapter 51)

2. She loses consciousness. (Chapter 54)

3. In a one-room flat, secured by Papa’s brothers (Chapter 55)

Short Answer

1. Chapter 52 is the only entry not addressed to Mama. Nisha also directly addresses the reader in this section, taking it out of the realm of personal narrative and into that of imperative plea: She asks the reader to remember “us” and to remember India when it was “whole.” (Chapter 52)

2. Cooking is one of the only things that brings Nisha joy. After the violence and trauma that the entire family experienced, finding joy in life becomes paramount; what’s more, senseless societal divisions around class—for example, that the job of cooking food is only for lower class people—seem trivial now. (Chapter 56)