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A Thousand Questions
Set against the backdrop of Karachi, Pakistan, Saadia Faruqi’s middle grade novel tells the story of two girls navigating a summer of change and family upheaval.
Mimi is not thrilled to be spending her summer in Karachi, Pakistan, with grandparents she’s never met. Secretly, she wishes to find her long-absent father, and plans to write to him in her beautiful new journal.
The cook’s daughter, Sakina, still hasn’t told her parents that she’ll be accepted to school only if she can improve her English test score—but then, how could her family possibly afford to lose the money she earns working with her Abba in a rich family’s kitchen?
Although the girls seem totally incompatible at first, as the summer goes on, Sakina and Mimi realize that they have plenty in common—and that they each need the other to get what they want most.
Mimi is not thrilled to be spending her summer in Karachi, Pakistan, with grandparents she’s never met. Secretly, she wishes to find her long-absent father, and plans to write to him in her beautiful new journal.
The cook’s daughter, Sakina, still hasn’t told her parents that she’ll be accepted to school only if she can improve her English test score—but then, how could her family possibly afford to lose the money she earns working with her Abba in a rich family’s kitchen?
Although the girls seem totally incompatible at first, as the summer goes on, Sakina and Mimi realize that they have plenty in common—and that they each need the other to get what they want most.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published October 6, 2020
About the author
Saadia Faruqi
87 books435 followersSaadia Faruqi is a Pakistani American author, essayist and interfaith activist. She writes the children’s early reader series “Yasmin” published by Capstone and other books for children, including middle grade novels “A Place At The Table” (HMH/Clarion 2020) co-written with Laura Shovan, and “A Thousand Questions” (Harper Collins 2020). She has also written “Brick Walls: Tales of Hope & Courage from Pakistan” a short story collection for adults and teens. Saadia is editor-in-chief of Blue Minaret, a magazine for Muslim art, poetry and prose, and was featured in Oprah Magazine in 2017 as a woman making a difference in her community. She resides in Houston, TX with her husband and children.
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September 18, 2020CW: extreme poverty, classism, father with a chronic illness (diabetes), breaking and entering, theft, mistreatment.
This was a really heartfelt and heartbreaking read that was ultimately hopeful and tentative in its happiness. I loved reading about the friendship between Mimi and Sakina, how they helped each other, how they overcame their differences and challenges each other in more ways that one. I also liked seeing different family dynamics being portrayed.
This was a really heartfelt and heartbreaking read that was ultimately hopeful and tentative in its happiness. I loved reading about the friendship between Mimi and Sakina, how they helped each other, how they overcame their differences and challenges each other in more ways that one. I also liked seeing different family dynamics being portrayed.
November 25, 2023
Something that I've been thinking about lately is how to reconcile the divide and animosity between 'native'/'mainland' people and people of diaspora. If you know, you know. Sometimes, it feels insurmountable and sometimes I feel hopeless about what we can possibly do to bridge that gap - we're just too different, born from different worlds though often lumped together, and friction and resentment arises when we try to reconcile.
And then, you read a book like A Thousand Questions that makes me feel kinda hopeful that it is possible - it just takes a lot of work and honesty and a willingness to understand each other. This is the power of middle-grade, y'all. A story for younger readers that just... is so honest and frank but so good and understanding. I loved this.
- Follows Sakina, a Pakistani cook's daughter and servant, and Mimi, a biracial Pakistani-American girl, and the friendship that blooms between them during Mimi's holiday in Pakistan during the Pakistani election.
- I'm honestly in awe of how powerful yet understated this book is. When it is pitched as empathetic, that is absolutely true - the two girls have a powerful sisterly friendship that brings them so much joy, but their friendship is also fraught with misunderstandings, cultural differences, and confronting class privilege - yet they overcome it, try their best to understand each other, and that was such a beautiful and hopeful thing.
- It's also about Mimi searching for her white father, who is estranged from the family, yet she writes letters to him to express herself. Moreover, the story also explores friendship, family dynamics, and class differences.
- Honestly, I loved this book so, so much and I am in awe of how this is a book written for younger readers, but actually explores a lot of stuff that adults still grapple with in such an accessible, gentle, yet honest way.
Trigger/content warning: threat of violence, chronic illness (diabetes), hospitalisation of loved one
And then, you read a book like A Thousand Questions that makes me feel kinda hopeful that it is possible - it just takes a lot of work and honesty and a willingness to understand each other. This is the power of middle-grade, y'all. A story for younger readers that just... is so honest and frank but so good and understanding. I loved this.
- Follows Sakina, a Pakistani cook's daughter and servant, and Mimi, a biracial Pakistani-American girl, and the friendship that blooms between them during Mimi's holiday in Pakistan during the Pakistani election.
- I'm honestly in awe of how powerful yet understated this book is. When it is pitched as empathetic, that is absolutely true - the two girls have a powerful sisterly friendship that brings them so much joy, but their friendship is also fraught with misunderstandings, cultural differences, and confronting class privilege - yet they overcome it, try their best to understand each other, and that was such a beautiful and hopeful thing.
- It's also about Mimi searching for her white father, who is estranged from the family, yet she writes letters to him to express herself. Moreover, the story also explores friendship, family dynamics, and class differences.
- Honestly, I loved this book so, so much and I am in awe of how this is a book written for younger readers, but actually explores a lot of stuff that adults still grapple with in such an accessible, gentle, yet honest way.
Trigger/content warning: threat of violence, chronic illness (diabetes), hospitalisation of loved one
July 10, 2021
A wonderful addition to the diverse world of middle grade. I loved that we got to read from both Mimi and Sakina's points of view. Both girls live in completely different worlds and I really loved seeing them get to know each other. I feel like children would learn so much from the lives of these two girls.
Sakina was selfless in every sense of the word. I loved her determination to achieve her dreams and the relationship she had with her family. I have to say that she was definitely my favourite. I feel like I learned so much from her. As for Mimi, a lot of the book is spent trying to find her father as well as learning more about the place her mother and grandparents grew up. I loved watching her learn more about her other side. I loved the growing friendship between these two girls and how much they learned from one another.
This is a middle grade that I definitely recommend reading. I feel like this was a very important story. I wasn't expecting a lot of the things discussed here, but I was very happy that they were. There was talk about privilege and different social classes. There was also talk about culture and language. A lot of this was very eye-opening and I absolutely loved it because of that.
Definitely a wholesome story with a lot of important topics being discussed.
Sakina was selfless in every sense of the word. I loved her determination to achieve her dreams and the relationship she had with her family. I have to say that she was definitely my favourite. I feel like I learned so much from her. As for Mimi, a lot of the book is spent trying to find her father as well as learning more about the place her mother and grandparents grew up. I loved watching her learn more about her other side. I loved the growing friendship between these two girls and how much they learned from one another.
This is a middle grade that I definitely recommend reading. I feel like this was a very important story. I wasn't expecting a lot of the things discussed here, but I was very happy that they were. There was talk about privilege and different social classes. There was also talk about culture and language. A lot of this was very eye-opening and I absolutely loved it because of that.
Definitely a wholesome story with a lot of important topics being discussed.
Want to read
September 8, 2020I don't normally read middle grade, but I LOVED the middle grade book this author cowrote (A PLACE AT THE TABLE) and would love to get my hands on this. It sounds so good. ;~;
September 17, 2021
A middle grade book that packed a bag full of lessons and sent you off with them into the world.
The story follows Mimi, an American-born girl who comes to Karachi with her mother to visit her grandparents. Culture shock, a change of environment, and a language she only barely understands, Mimi decides that the best way to navigate her new normal is to search for her father. Sakina is the cook's daughter at Mimi's grandparent's house, and has dreams of going to school despite needing to help her diabetic father in the kitchen so they can earn a living. There is a scholarship available that could change her fate, but first, Sakina needs to pass her English examination - and her best chance might be Mimi.
An absolutely unexpected Gem of a book. Every aspect and issue that came up in A Thousand Questions was answered with such boldness, that is shook me at the core as a reader. There was no room for argument or confusion; everything circled and aligned, and made sense.
Filled with all the ups and downs of childhood, it felt reminiscent to a memory being pulled from my subconscious as I tried to grapple with the decisions the characters took, the way they thought, and how the world shaped around them in only the way a child could see. The innocence in Mimi was so beautifully contrasted with the maturity of Sakina, and the wealth divide showcased how both things could be good and bad.
At the end, despite a happy ending that felt entirely earned, I could pinpoint each change that had occurred with Mimi and Sakina, and tell which event had been its cause. This was the joy of reading a book that Faruqi clearly took care and time to develop.
5 Stars for this glorious read that did not hide the raw and edgy, that spilt truths with its words and never once was sorry for it.
A similar book I'd recommend is American as Paneer Pie by Supriya Kelkar.
The story follows Mimi, an American-born girl who comes to Karachi with her mother to visit her grandparents. Culture shock, a change of environment, and a language she only barely understands, Mimi decides that the best way to navigate her new normal is to search for her father. Sakina is the cook's daughter at Mimi's grandparent's house, and has dreams of going to school despite needing to help her diabetic father in the kitchen so they can earn a living. There is a scholarship available that could change her fate, but first, Sakina needs to pass her English examination - and her best chance might be Mimi.
Warnings: Classism, parent with illness (diabetes). Mentions of violence, political unrest.
An absolutely unexpected Gem of a book. Every aspect and issue that came up in A Thousand Questions was answered with such boldness, that is shook me at the core as a reader. There was no room for argument or confusion; everything circled and aligned, and made sense.
Filled with all the ups and downs of childhood, it felt reminiscent to a memory being pulled from my subconscious as I tried to grapple with the decisions the characters took, the way they thought, and how the world shaped around them in only the way a child could see. The innocence in Mimi was so beautifully contrasted with the maturity of Sakina, and the wealth divide showcased how both things could be good and bad.
At the end, despite a happy ending that felt entirely earned, I could pinpoint each change that had occurred with Mimi and Sakina, and tell which event had been its cause. This was the joy of reading a book that Faruqi clearly took care and time to develop.
5 Stars for this glorious read that did not hide the raw and edgy, that spilt truths with its words and never once was sorry for it.
A similar book I'd recommend is American as Paneer Pie by Supriya Kelkar.
April 2, 2024
soo cute
October 7, 2020
What do I even say? I wish I had this book when I was a little girl. It perfectly captures so much of my life. Being a Pakistani immigrant, growing up in Western society, visiting Pakistan and experiencing the culture shock... It was just SO GOOD.
I mainly picked up this book because one of the main characters is named Sakina. This is the second book I've read this year with a character who has the same name as me. I never thought the day would come that I'd get to experience that. Sakina's story absolutely broke my heart. I might be biased, but she also quickly became my favourite character. She's so selfless and kindhearted. She always puts others before herself, and the guilt she feels at trying to follow her dreams and disappointing her parents in the process was waay too relatable.
There are so many good family and friendship moments. It made my normally cold heart so happy, and I almost cried multiple times. I loved following Mimi on her journey of trying to find her father, and watching as it strained her relationship with her mom. I will admit, Mimi's grandmother annoyed me a lot, but I do like the character development we see with her character. The ending was so sweet and perfect and also bittersweet. I'm really glad we got a satisfying ending.
Overall, cannot recommend enough!
I mainly picked up this book because one of the main characters is named Sakina. This is the second book I've read this year with a character who has the same name as me. I never thought the day would come that I'd get to experience that. Sakina's story absolutely broke my heart. I might be biased, but she also quickly became my favourite character. She's so selfless and kindhearted. She always puts others before herself, and the guilt she feels at trying to follow her dreams and disappointing her parents in the process was waay too relatable.
There are so many good family and friendship moments. It made my normally cold heart so happy, and I almost cried multiple times. I loved following Mimi on her journey of trying to find her father, and watching as it strained her relationship with her mom. I will admit, Mimi's grandmother annoyed me a lot, but I do like the character development we see with her character. The ending was so sweet and perfect and also bittersweet. I'm really glad we got a satisfying ending.
Overall, cannot recommend enough!
November 20, 2020
Set in Karachi, Pakistan, this is a captivating, unique and important story. And the author’s note is a must read that adds so much to the story - if you’re reading this book out loud, or doing a book talk, maybe lead with the author’s note. Grades 4-6.
June 19, 2021
I don't read middle grade books usually but I picked this one up after reading g the blurb. It's such a gem. A Thousand Questions,set in Pakistan follows the lives of two girls,Maryam and Sakina.
Maryam aka Mimi visits her grandparents with her Mom for thr summer and meets Sakina. She quickly befriends her they become close friends later in ways they never thought they'd be able to. How they support and help each other forms the rest of the story.
The author has done a very good job in writing middle grade friendships along with focus on serious issues such as poverty,illness etc. The words flow freely and we are sucked into the story which is straightforward and raw.
A heartwarming read!
Maryam aka Mimi visits her grandparents with her Mom for thr summer and meets Sakina. She quickly befriends her they become close friends later in ways they never thought they'd be able to. How they support and help each other forms the rest of the story.
The author has done a very good job in writing middle grade friendships along with focus on serious issues such as poverty,illness etc. The words flow freely and we are sucked into the story which is straightforward and raw.
A heartwarming read!
February 2, 2021
This is such a beautiful and heartfelt story of two young girls from completely different worlds who end up spending time together over a summer and realise that despite their differences they can be friends and support and help each other. I related so much to both Mimi and Sakina in different ways and I loved both of them but I do love Sakina a little bit more and my heart broke for her and the circumstances she was in.
Mimi is a young girl who knows little about her roots and her family beyond her mum and seeing her realise that she has more family and get to know them better was so lovely to see. When you are a child of an immigrant there are often family members who you don’t get to see very often and it can cause a disconnect from them and your families background because you also want to fit in wherever you are living. So it was nice to see that Mimi gets to experience her culture and meet her grandparents and that by the end she knows that she wants to visit regularly to stay connected with them.
Sakina is a young girl who lives a difficult life and has to work from such a young age to help provide for her family and unfortunately this isn’t that uncommon. Her wanting to make sure her family would be okay while also having hopes and dreams of being able to go to school broke my heart. I was really rooting for her and hoping she would find a way. I related a lot to how conflicted she felt having to choose between her parents and her responsibilities and her dreams. I loved that we got a hopeful ending for her and after everything she went through she got the help she needed.
The running theme of friendship was so beautiful in this book. Mimi helps Sakina learn English to help her get into school and Sakina helps her connect with her dad. I really loved seeing their friendship build and that Mimi would take Sakina with her when going out treating her as an equal. It was also great to see both their points of view so we truly get insight from both their world views.
I also loved how we see real, raw family dynamics and how despite the fact that you love your family you can also have a somewhat strained relationship with them but you can still work on making it better. Initially I did not like Mimi’s grandma but I did like how her character developed throughout the story. Sakina’s dad was a lovable character but because he had diabetes and couldn’t afford the medicine his responsibility fell on Sakina and their family dynamic was interesting too. Each character was complex and I really loved seeing the different sides of them.
I loved that it’s set in Pakistan and we see all the different parts of it and what it’s like to live there for different people. It isn’t perfect but even Sakina was defensive of her home and how much beauty there is there and was determined to show that to Mimi. The food and the culture was really great to see in the book and honestly my mouth was watering remembering how amazing the food is in Pakistan.
I really loved this beautiful story and the bittersweet yet hopeful ending and that two young girls found friendship and support in the most unlikely of places. A story I wish I had been able to read when I was younger and made me reminisce about the few times I have been able to visit my family in Pakistan and Bangladesh.
Mimi is a young girl who knows little about her roots and her family beyond her mum and seeing her realise that she has more family and get to know them better was so lovely to see. When you are a child of an immigrant there are often family members who you don’t get to see very often and it can cause a disconnect from them and your families background because you also want to fit in wherever you are living. So it was nice to see that Mimi gets to experience her culture and meet her grandparents and that by the end she knows that she wants to visit regularly to stay connected with them.
Sakina is a young girl who lives a difficult life and has to work from such a young age to help provide for her family and unfortunately this isn’t that uncommon. Her wanting to make sure her family would be okay while also having hopes and dreams of being able to go to school broke my heart. I was really rooting for her and hoping she would find a way. I related a lot to how conflicted she felt having to choose between her parents and her responsibilities and her dreams. I loved that we got a hopeful ending for her and after everything she went through she got the help she needed.
The running theme of friendship was so beautiful in this book. Mimi helps Sakina learn English to help her get into school and Sakina helps her connect with her dad. I really loved seeing their friendship build and that Mimi would take Sakina with her when going out treating her as an equal. It was also great to see both their points of view so we truly get insight from both their world views.
I also loved how we see real, raw family dynamics and how despite the fact that you love your family you can also have a somewhat strained relationship with them but you can still work on making it better. Initially I did not like Mimi’s grandma but I did like how her character developed throughout the story. Sakina’s dad was a lovable character but because he had diabetes and couldn’t afford the medicine his responsibility fell on Sakina and their family dynamic was interesting too. Each character was complex and I really loved seeing the different sides of them.
I loved that it’s set in Pakistan and we see all the different parts of it and what it’s like to live there for different people. It isn’t perfect but even Sakina was defensive of her home and how much beauty there is there and was determined to show that to Mimi. The food and the culture was really great to see in the book and honestly my mouth was watering remembering how amazing the food is in Pakistan.
I really loved this beautiful story and the bittersweet yet hopeful ending and that two young girls found friendship and support in the most unlikely of places. A story I wish I had been able to read when I was younger and made me reminisce about the few times I have been able to visit my family in Pakistan and Bangladesh.
November 3, 2020
Mimi-Maryam-is visiting her maternal grandparents for the first time. She lives in Houston with her mother, her father left them when she was 5 years old but she is not over him. Karachi is new for her, everything is new and strange.
Sakina works at Mimi’s grandparents home with her abba (father) who is the cook there. Sakina wants to get to school but she can’t afford it and for getting a scholarship she needs to improve her English.
This story is about how two different girls became friends in a way they never have thought about. Told Story is told in both of the Mimi and Sakina’s perspective both got different problems, views and life. This story had the personal touch which made it heartwarming. All those cultural hints and food description made me happy, I love it when an author uses Urdu in a story. It was a simple and straight forward story which Sadia didn’t try to glamorize as most of the authors do. All the positive thing and things we are lacking as Pakistani was just there-raw.
I’d recommend it to all people who like to read Diverse Middle-grade books.
Sakina works at Mimi’s grandparents home with her abba (father) who is the cook there. Sakina wants to get to school but she can’t afford it and for getting a scholarship she needs to improve her English.
This story is about how two different girls became friends in a way they never have thought about. Told Story is told in both of the Mimi and Sakina’s perspective both got different problems, views and life. This story had the personal touch which made it heartwarming. All those cultural hints and food description made me happy, I love it when an author uses Urdu in a story. It was a simple and straight forward story which Sadia didn’t try to glamorize as most of the authors do. All the positive thing and things we are lacking as Pakistani was just there-raw.
I’d recommend it to all people who like to read Diverse Middle-grade books.
March 12, 2021
Book 64 of 2021
An amazing MG book set in Pakistan, featuring two girls - one middle class Pakistani-American (Mimi) who's living an okay life in America and discovers her grandparents in Pakistan are actually very rich, and a poor Pakistani girl (Sakina) who's the servant of Mimi's grandparents.
The worlds of these two girls collide when Mimi's mother takes her on vacation to Pakistan. There, they become quick friends, and influence and help each other a lot.
Set against the backdrop of an election going on in Pakistan, we see a lot of violence, thuggery, and political nuances and how they affect the lower class people.
Mimi is on the hunt for her dad, who left her when she was 5. She's annoyed at her mother who doesn't seem to care that she needs her father, and her mother might even be moving on with someone in Pakistan. Sakina has big dreams of seeking education but is restricted by her parent's poverty, and is instead confined to a life of servitude. She's working as her father's assistant in Mimi's grandparents' kitchen and is expected to take over from him as time goes on.
Mimi and Sakina help each other first as friends and listening ears, and then help each other in more ways than the other could have ever imagined.
Issues like poverty, diabetes, politics and elections, the divide between the rich and the poor, friendship, and family are explored in this book.
I enjoyed it a lot and I think more people should read this.
An amazing MG book set in Pakistan, featuring two girls - one middle class Pakistani-American (Mimi) who's living an okay life in America and discovers her grandparents in Pakistan are actually very rich, and a poor Pakistani girl (Sakina) who's the servant of Mimi's grandparents.
The worlds of these two girls collide when Mimi's mother takes her on vacation to Pakistan. There, they become quick friends, and influence and help each other a lot.
Set against the backdrop of an election going on in Pakistan, we see a lot of violence, thuggery, and political nuances and how they affect the lower class people.
Mimi is on the hunt for her dad, who left her when she was 5. She's annoyed at her mother who doesn't seem to care that she needs her father, and her mother might even be moving on with someone in Pakistan. Sakina has big dreams of seeking education but is restricted by her parent's poverty, and is instead confined to a life of servitude. She's working as her father's assistant in Mimi's grandparents' kitchen and is expected to take over from him as time goes on.
Mimi and Sakina help each other first as friends and listening ears, and then help each other in more ways than the other could have ever imagined.
Issues like poverty, diabetes, politics and elections, the divide between the rich and the poor, friendship, and family are explored in this book.
I enjoyed it a lot and I think more people should read this.
March 31, 2021
3.5 stars
Saadia Faruqi is so good at writing friendships in middle grade!! I think I simply must read every middle grade she will ever write. No, but, genuinely, I adored the development of the friendship dynamic in this book. I thought it developed so naturally and I loved seeing it come to fruition. I also really loved the exploration of different family dynamics within this story!! I did find the plot to be a little anticlimactic, but I didn’t really mind it that much because I think the book more than made up for it with the character relationships and dynamics. I also really liked the fact that it was set in Pakistan! Overall, I think this was a very cute and very quick read and I think any middle-grade lover is bound to enjoy this one.
rep: Pakistani-American MC, Pakistani MC
Saadia Faruqi is so good at writing friendships in middle grade!! I think I simply must read every middle grade she will ever write. No, but, genuinely, I adored the development of the friendship dynamic in this book. I thought it developed so naturally and I loved seeing it come to fruition. I also really loved the exploration of different family dynamics within this story!! I did find the plot to be a little anticlimactic, but I didn’t really mind it that much because I think the book more than made up for it with the character relationships and dynamics. I also really liked the fact that it was set in Pakistan! Overall, I think this was a very cute and very quick read and I think any middle-grade lover is bound to enjoy this one.
rep: Pakistani-American MC, Pakistani MC
March 21, 2021
I enjoyed this middle-grade novel; it felt like traveling to Pakistan. Saadia Faruqi writes about two sides of a well-loved city: the wealthy and the poor, and shows that each side may have valid reason to envy the other. In A Thousand Questions, a genuine friendship connects two young girls despite the barriers of status, language, and culture. If you enjoy books set in Asia and the Middle East, books about food or friendship, or those with an exciting dash of mystery and adventure, you’ll love this book!
Read my full review on my blog.
I received an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Read my full review on my blog.
I received an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
April 8, 2021
2,5 ⭐
Unfortunately, this was one of those cases where I had my expectations a bit too high and ended up being disappointed.
But also I must say that I'm tired of reading summaries of books and they make me believe that the book is going to be mainly focused about one thing and ends up being around a bunch of other matters leaving "the main one" on the background.
Overall, it was an eye opening experience of some sorts but I think that this story would be way more successful if it was written towards older audiences, flashing out the society issues that the story was trying to spread it out.
Unfortunately, this was one of those cases where I had my expectations a bit too high and ended up being disappointed.
But also I must say that I'm tired of reading summaries of books and they make me believe that the book is going to be mainly focused about one thing and ends up being around a bunch of other matters leaving "the main one" on the background.
Overall, it was an eye opening experience of some sorts but I think that this story would be way more successful if it was written towards older audiences, flashing out the society issues that the story was trying to spread it out.
December 2, 2020
I LOVED this book. I loved how Saadia Faruqi shone a light on a society that doesn't get much attention, the servant community of Karachi . The story flips back and forth between American Mimi and Pakistani Sakina. Sakina is Mimi's grandmother's servant and is feisty and full of spunk. The sentence that reveals why the title is named A Thousand Questions made my heart hurt, in the best way.
A beautiful book full of friendship, education, and family!
A beautiful book full of friendship, education, and family!
July 15, 2021
Between this and A Place at the Table, Saadia Faruqi really knows how to write friendships (as well as the intersection of different cultures). I was impressed by how this book handled poverty, cultural differences, privilege, and family, and I loved to watch Mimi and Sakina support and learn from each other even as they misunderstand each other and despite their very different circumstances. I also loved the setting in Karachi, Pakistan, because it's a country less often seen in books and portrays a culture I do not know much about. The audiobook narration was very good as well!
May 9, 2022
Loved listening to this book! highly recommend
December 7, 2020
Dear Dad, I am your daughter, and I have some questions for you...1000 to be exact.
I loved this story of a mom Maryam Ji and her daughter Mimi. It opened my eyes seeing Karachi, Pakistan in their eyes and in their story. Maryam and Mimi are visiting Maryam parents in Pakistan from Dallas, Texas. Mimi has never been to her mother's home and is excited and a little apprehensive to the different culture and language. She brings her journal that is actually many letters to her father who is a reporter that travels the world. He left his family when Mimi was quite young however, she remembers small things about her dad and her journal is her way to connect to the father she doesn't know. Upon their arrival, she is amazed by the wealth of her grandparents. They have servants and one of the servants is young girl Sakina who has her own dreams and ambitions.
I loved how their friendship grew and deepened. Mimi wanting to meet her father and Sakina wanting to go to school. These two desires of the girls in the backdrop of political ambitions, family dynamics opened my eyes to how much we have in common but also the differences that make us all unique.
The author used her own background for her story which made it more special. Highly recommend.
A special thank you to Harper Collins Children Books and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.
I loved this story of a mom Maryam Ji and her daughter Mimi. It opened my eyes seeing Karachi, Pakistan in their eyes and in their story. Maryam and Mimi are visiting Maryam parents in Pakistan from Dallas, Texas. Mimi has never been to her mother's home and is excited and a little apprehensive to the different culture and language. She brings her journal that is actually many letters to her father who is a reporter that travels the world. He left his family when Mimi was quite young however, she remembers small things about her dad and her journal is her way to connect to the father she doesn't know. Upon their arrival, she is amazed by the wealth of her grandparents. They have servants and one of the servants is young girl Sakina who has her own dreams and ambitions.
I loved how their friendship grew and deepened. Mimi wanting to meet her father and Sakina wanting to go to school. These two desires of the girls in the backdrop of political ambitions, family dynamics opened my eyes to how much we have in common but also the differences that make us all unique.
The author used her own background for her story which made it more special. Highly recommend.
A special thank you to Harper Collins Children Books and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.
March 30, 2021
I was so happy to see Saadiq Faruqi write a middle grade novel bc I love her Yasmin series for younger readers. And, this book is just so good. Mimi is half-Pakistani but has never been to Pakistan or spent time there until a summer vacation with her mom. Her POV as a person of Pakistani descent who has only know the US is so, so engaging and I was struck by the small things like her wearing witty T-shirts which are so not okay there and are so out of context. Mimi meets Sakina, the cook's daughter, and they strike up a friendship. Lots of cultural pieces to this about poor vs. rich, educated vs. not and attitudes of the rich to the people who work for them. I learned a lot and I predict kids will really love this.
July 14, 2021
The perk of yet another rainstorm is more time to curl up and read. Saadia Faruqi nailed it with A Thousand Questions; #mglit full of culture, perspective, family, & heart.
“Jealousy. That’s what I feel for (her) sometimes. For all the ways her life is easy, and mine is not.”
“Jealousy. That’s what I feel for (her) sometimes. For all the ways her life is easy, and mine is not.”
June 7, 2021
A beautiful story set in the backdrop of Karachi, narrated in 2 different POVs.
Read
August 4, 2022Trigger & Content Warnings:
Familial estrangement
Parent with diabetes
Hospitalisation
Poverty
Familial estrangement
Parent with diabetes
Hospitalisation
Poverty
May 29, 2021
Now I want to visit Karachi.
October 4, 2020
Review copy: Digital ARC via Netgalley
This is a fabulous story of family, identity, friendship and going after dreams. Mimi and Sakina appear to have very different lives, but they learn a lot from each other and inspire each other to do hard things. I loved getting to see Karachi from both an insider and outsider point of view. I have to admit that I am jealous of young people today having the ability to use the Internet to see the setting of a book using Google Maps and other resources. I had no real images in my head of Karachi and the book was really immersive.
Saadia Faruqi made me care about these young people and I flew through the book. I can't wait to share it with my students.
This is a fabulous story of family, identity, friendship and going after dreams. Mimi and Sakina appear to have very different lives, but they learn a lot from each other and inspire each other to do hard things. I loved getting to see Karachi from both an insider and outsider point of view. I have to admit that I am jealous of young people today having the ability to use the Internet to see the setting of a book using Google Maps and other resources. I had no real images in my head of Karachi and the book was really immersive.
Saadia Faruqi made me care about these young people and I flew through the book. I can't wait to share it with my students.
November 2, 2020
"That’s been our rule since I was a little girl. No complaining, no matter how hard things get."
Baru di bab pertama udah buat aku "nyess".
Buku ini dinarasikan oleh dua tokoh, yaitu Mimi dan Sakina. Keduanya bersahabat dan memiliki latar belakang yang bertolak belakang.
Aku rasa banyak isu isu sosial di buku ini yg bisa relate dengan Indonesia, seperti pendidikan yang sulit didapat bagi kaum tidak mampu. Aku seneng banget sama persahabatan Mimi dan Sakina, so heartwarming ❤. Family matters yang diangkat juga berhasil membuatku terenyuh. Rekomen banget pokoknya
🌟5/5
Baru di bab pertama udah buat aku "nyess".
Buku ini dinarasikan oleh dua tokoh, yaitu Mimi dan Sakina. Keduanya bersahabat dan memiliki latar belakang yang bertolak belakang.
Aku rasa banyak isu isu sosial di buku ini yg bisa relate dengan Indonesia, seperti pendidikan yang sulit didapat bagi kaum tidak mampu. Aku seneng banget sama persahabatan Mimi dan Sakina, so heartwarming ❤. Family matters yang diangkat juga berhasil membuatku terenyuh. Rekomen banget pokoknya
🌟5/5
October 19, 2020
I was born in Karachi but immigrated to the States when I was 2. My family and I used to visit the city frequently because that's where the majority of the Pakistani side of my relatives live. Even I learned new things reading this book! And next time, maybe I'll appreciate Karachi a little more if I return. Really enjoyed Mimi and Sakina's story and budding friendship here!
December 17, 2020
AKKKK !! I really adore the friendship between Sakina and Mimi 🥺🥺. Really love how the story end up with heartwarming feeling 😭😭. Love the idea of the story with stating issue of privilege, political issue and finding family. 💙💙💙
March 6, 2021
My first 5 stars this year! I love this book so much! I love the friendship :')
But, for a middle grade book, this one is a bit complicated and heavy. A Thousand Questions is not only about friendship and family, it also about different class in Pakistan, political matters, and of course poverty.
But, for a middle grade book, this one is a bit complicated and heavy. A Thousand Questions is not only about friendship and family, it also about different class in Pakistan, political matters, and of course poverty.
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