Nura and the Immortal Palace

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A successful juvenile by the beloved New Yorker writer portrays a farm episode with an imaginative twist that makes a poignant, humorous story of a pig, a spider and a little girl. All in all, a fabulous magical adventure with ‘desi’ vibes and an important message as well. Definitely a yes. I’d love to read more books by this young Pakistani author. You’ve earned yourself a fan in India. 💕 This is a story about clutching on to hope despite your situation, about allowingyourself to yearn for more than just the food on your plate or nice clothes to wear –it’s about dreaming big. Because dreaming big shouldn’t feel like a luxury. Author MT Khan takes us on a magical journey through the contrasting worlds of a mica miner to the bountiful world of the jinn palace. Her main character clearly wants what she can't have and her journey to claim it is fraught with problems for her to overcome, until ultimately, she discovers that what she needs is not what she thought that she wanted. I'm glad I decided to make this one of my API Heritage Month 2022 reads. Can't wait for this to come out so I can get myself a finished copy!

History repeats itself. Once again, we fall to chaos. But we’ll rise again. And again. And once more.” Nura and Faisal’s characters are created very well. Nura’s aggressive nature balances Faisal’s demure spirit. This was again a nice change, seeing the girl protagonist in charge while the boy follows her lead. The three way chats, in which they are joined by other animals, about web spinning, themselves, other humans—are as often informative as amusing, and the whole tenor of appealing wit and pathos will make fine entertainment for reading aloud, too. Nura is fiercely protective of her loved ones and would do anything to get her hands on some gulab jamun and I absolutely loved her. Khan has done a brilliant job in capturing both her boldness and the naivety she has about the world and I really valued the subtler message on the importance of education that is brought into the narrative as we follow her on her journey in this story too.Meticulous plotting and layered lore elevate Khan’s debut, while Nura and Faisal’s friendship grounds the high-stakes story about burgeoning labor consciousness."— Publishers Weekly, starred review Beginning with immediate action, Nura and the Immortal Palace is sure to sweep readers off their feet. It balances adventures and riddles to be solved with real conversations about child labor and about poverty. Of not wanting to fall into another trap of servitude which preys on children, their naivety, their hope, and their love. At the same time, Nura and the Immortal Palace examines generalizations. How we can believe we know everything there is about people and really know nothing at all. A stunning debut.Khan weaves a uniquely magical tale taking the tropes of jinn and presenting them as tragic, selfish, and all together untrustworthy. Nura, despite her humble origin, rises up to take on all the illusions and deceits of the immortal mischief-makers, and through her trials Khan presents a powerful view of the world we live in, where injustice and subjugationof the poor and powerless is as cruel and destructive as anything a djinni could conjure up. A uniquely powerful tale."— Sarwat Chadda, author of City of the Plague God Dapo Adeola, Tracy Darnton, Joseph Coelho and Chitra Soundar are among the 19 authors and illustrators longlisted for the Inclusive Books for Child...

Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.) Nura and the Immortal Palace is the kind of book I wish I had when I was younger. Nura and the Immortal Palace is an endearing adventure story filled with loveable characters at its core that emphasizes the cycle of exploitation.

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Something else that doesn’t really factor into the plot of the book but impacted me quite a bit is how much Nura’s sense of duty to her family is compounded by her father’s death. Eldest sisters already face tremendous pressure in Asian households. More so when it’s a single parent household. It’s also something I have personal experience with, so you can imagine that I could really relate to Nura in this regard on a deeply personal level. A stark reveal of reality An exceptional middle grade debut that shines brighter than any gem—and digs into the ugly truth of child labor. Khan is a gifted writer whose books will be treasured for years to come!"— Sarena and Sasha Nanua, authors of Sisters of the Snake With gorgeous, atmospheric writing, M.T. Khan tells a bold tale that challenges greed and inequality as the tough and clever Nura fights the odds from the mica mines of rural Pakistan to a realm of jinn and magic.' - Xiran Jay Zhao, author of Iron Widow The Primary School Library Alliance is calling on the government to match-fund the private investment it has brought into helping primary schools c... The characters were also adorable. Nura was a bit irritating at times, but it was exactly the kind of stubbornness and slight egotism that would be realistic for a 12-year old forced to take on too much responsibility too early, and I loved that she ultimately was driven by love and care for her family and friends. Her best friend Faisal was such a sweetheart too, and their bond was so precious!

Comparing a book to a Studio Ghibli movie will always, always put that book on top of my to-read list. And the comparison of Nura and the Immortal Palace to Spirited Away had me so excited to get my hands on it. Reader, this book did not disappoint.

Publisher

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