ALL THAT CHANDNI KNOWS

In 1999, a Gujarati girl shoulders the heavy burden of a family secret.

The Indian government has a family-planning slogan: “Hum do hamare do”—literally “two of us, two of ours,” or “[Mom + Dad] + [Kid 1 + Kid 2].” So why does 12-year-old Chandni’s household number five, with Diya Masi, her maternal aunt, living under the same roof? Neither Chandni nor her older brother, Suraj, ever asks; the subject seems to be off-limits. As this novel in verse unfolds, the answer to that question confirms the troubling suspicion Chandni has long held—one that soon becomes too heavy to bear. She was an A+, prize-winning student; now her grades slip, her focus wavers, her health suffers, and even her friendship with bestie Ramya becomes strained under the weight of all she’s holding inside. Stirring further emotions is Rohan, the boy Chandni longs for; due to cultural expectations and school rules, she must keep this secret too. Her inner turmoil threatens the prestigious boarding school opportunity she both craves and fears. Are her family’s bonds strong enough to endure the forces tearing at them? In Patel’s debut, Chandni is a resilient and realistic tween character, who’s drawn with authenticity—caught between determination and desperation and tormented by what she knows. While the work doesn’t exhibit the most effective use of verse, the format still adds moments of heightened tension and drama.

A poignant, character-driven exploration of fraught relationships centering on an appealing protagonist.