Author Interview – Reem Faruqi

I’m so excited to be able to introduce you to author Reem Faruqi today. Reem is an incredible novel in verse author, and I adore every single one of her books! Her newest title is Zarina Divided (HarperCollins), which launches on May 20, 2025.

I absolutely love the description of this book. It sounds so compelling, with much needed themes for our divided world, and the important historical story of Partition, which is so relevant to read and learn about, especially now.

I cannot wait to dive in!

I encourage everyone to buy a copy for themselves and their classrooms and libraries.

About Zarina Divided:

Description taken from online:

From the award-winning author of Unsettled, Reem Faruqi, comes a stirring coming-of-age story about a Muslim girl who, during the Partition of India, must learn to cope with loss, guilt, and change in order to grow. Perfect for fans of Amil and the After and The Partition Project and inspired by real-life events.

“A simultaneously gentle and gripping story led by a strong-willed protagonist eager to advocate for herself in a changing world.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)

You can notice differences

if you look really close,

which lately everyone

seems to be doing.

Zarina loves her life in Poona, India. She spends her days happily hanging out with her best friends, Geeta and Jahana, and playing with her three brothers. However, Zarina and her family are given unsettling news: Muslims and Hindus are to separate by religion. Hindus are expected to stay in India, while Muslims are expected to move to a new land, Pakistan.

Zarina is heartbroken at having to move away from all she knows and loves, and after the frightening journey to Pakistan, she feels unsure that the unfamiliar country will ever feel like home. When an accident happens that leaves Zarina grappling with extreme guilt, she decides it’s best to attend boarding school far away, much to the protest of her mom. Will a fresh start at a new school give Zarina the chance to thrive in Pakistan, or will the divisions within herself and her family continue to widen?

From award-winning author Reem Faruqi comes a heartening coming-of-age story, inspired by her grandmother’s life, that reminds us that through overwhelming change can come the most beautiful growth.

Interview with Reem:

I loved getting to talk to Reem about her new book and I think you will enjoy meeting her and Zarina as well.

Thank you so much for having me Shifa! I love your books!

SSS: What a wonderful description. I was interested right away! What is the inspiration behind Zarina Divided?

RF: I’m so glad the description got your attention! The inspiration behind Zarina Divided is … my grandmother Zarina! 

 

 

She would tell us stories about her experiences of going to a British boarding school in Murree, the mountains of Pakistan, and the friendships she made there. I was intrigued by her journey and how she advocated for herself to go, especially when her mother did not want her to leave, after they had finally made it to Karachi, Pakistan from Poona, India. 

I also really wanted to know more about my grandmother’s Partition journey to Pakistan from India. She recalls how in Poona, India, the weather was cooler and beautiful and how her house was spacious compared to her new house in Karachi where everything felt hot, crowded, and dusty. I loved how she described her garden in Poona with dahlias the size of dinner plates. It sounded so lush and scenic. If you meet my grandmother, you would see that she loves gardens and flowers. I think the move made her really miss her peaceful home and the greenery that she was used to. My grandmother’s decision to leave her new home to go to boarding school impacted her: her mother didn’t talk to her for a year! To this day, my grandmother loves the mountains, long walks in fresh air, and has soft British undertones in her voice when she speaks. 

With all that said, the Partition was bloody. Many lives were lost. It was the largest mass migration of the twentieth century. Over the course of a year, an estimated fifteen million people crossed borders that were drawn up in a rush by the British Empire. A lot of bitterness remains. My grandmother remembered her time in Poona saying that they were used to serving the British, to being their “good little servants.” I made sure to weave that line into the story.

I hope that ZARINA DIVIDED inspires you and that we don’t repeat the mistakes of the past. By studying and reflecting on our history, we should aim to do better in the future.

SSS: As a mom of three girls, I love stories about girls and especially strong girls. How is Zarina as a character? Is she sassy and spunky, or shy and introverted? How does her personality affect the story, and the very real hardships she goes through?

RF: Great question and I can relate to having girls! Zarina is strong-willed and has a temper that her father counsels her on by telling her, “When you are in control of your emotions, you are in control of yourself.”  She veers more to the extroverted side and has two best friends Jahana and Geeta that she loves so much that they call themselves sisters. However, once Partition tensions strike, their friendships are fractured. As a result, after her agonizing move, Zarina becomes more introverted and less confident. Once she goes to a British boarding school, her confidence and spunk re-returns. She doesn’t take no for an answer! She also makes new friends.

Here’s an excerpt below of her father Abajan counseling Zarina on her anger.

SSS: As a Syrian-American, I think often about the themes of immigration and diverse stories. How does the move Zarina makes from India to Pakistan impact her life? How does she find belonging and hope in her new home?

Rf: Yes, as a Pakistani American immigrant, I think about these themes often too. It’s part of who we are. I pray all is well with your family and Syria. 

Moving majorly impacted Zarina’s life. Before moving, she felt at peace in her home and thrived at school. Once she moved she lost her friends and her nanny Khushboo. I had a nanny that I was very attached to (we are still in touch today!), but I remember the feeling of leaving loved ones behind is hard. Now, imagine leaving loved ones in a rush and not properly saying goodbye. That is quite traumatic!

When Zarina does make the journey to Pakistan, she becomes quiet at school and is not really present. Her teacher writes on her progress report failure to thrive. However, once she goes to  boarding school, in the fresh mountain air of Murree, she finds the greenery she longs for and new friends. She finally has space to think. Spoiler alert: she thrives!

Zarina does however feel a lot of guilt for leaving her mother behind, especially when her mother has an accident that she feels responsible for.  But with the help of her brother Wahab and her nanny Khusbhoo’s advice, she begins to feel less guilt. When she does return back  home to her family in Karachi, her reunion is better than she could have imagined. She realizes home isn’t just a house: home is her family and loved ones.

SSS: The subject of Partition is a relatively new one in MG, but one that is so important. Can you tell us more?

RF: 

Yes! I’ll be honest: I wasn’t always intrigued by the Partition. As a  young girl, we were told stories of how our grandmothers’ left, but I didn’t dwell too much on it. It just felt like a faraway old story. Once I grew older and realized how dangerous the journeys were and how my grandmothers thrived, I was impressed and wanted to know more. I wanted to write about this huge event that took place in their lives.

I remember watching Ms. Marvel and seeing the Partition train scene of so many people leaving in a hurry and sitting on top of the trains. My heart and eyes hurt to see such scenery. I also remember reading award-winning author Shirin Shamsi’s picture book THE MOON TO DEHRADUN and getting chills. It was told so simply yet beautifully depicted the sorrow a little girl faced from leaving her home in a rush and the sense of belonging she eventually feels at the end. I was in awe of how Shirin told such a  heartbreaking story in a few words. When I write in verse, I strive to do the same.

 If you want more partition stories, there are more beautiful books: THE NIGHT DIARIES and AMIL AND THE AFTER by Veera Hiranandani, THE PARTITION PROJECT by Saadia Faruqi, LION OF THE SKY by Ritu Hemnani, and one I haven’t read yet but just discovered, THE LINE THEY DREW THROUGH US by Hiba Noor Khan that just released.  I really want to read that one!

SSS: This story was inspired by real life events! Was it hard doing research and asking family members about this (what must have been) traumatic time?

RF: Yes!There are many stories in this book that are inspired by real life events. Both my grandmothers made the move from India to Pakistan. My paternal grandmother had passed away, but I am grateful my paternal uncle wrote down her experiences in a family album that I relied heavily on. I blended her experiences with my maternal grandmother’s Zarina experiences. For example, my paternal grandmother recalled the experiences on the train and the mobs that attacked as well as the process of being allotted a new house. Everything was chaotic as people took over each other’s houses. I described it in my book through Zarina’s eyes as a game of musical chairs: “Now, because India is splitting in two / we are packing bags, / scrambling  around the same way./ Muslims swapping places with Hindus, / Hindus swapping places with Muslims,/ and we don’t even know if there are chairs./ Angry voices take the place of music.” 

My grandmother Zarina remembered taking a ship and all she remembered of that journey was the name of the ship The Shirala.  I dove into research and found that the ship journeys were quite traumatic: there was a lot of seasickness, a lack of lights, and severe overcrowding on board. I see why she blocked it out! Researching heavy stories that actually took place was hard, but I’m so grateful the partition survivors had the courage to share their stories.

The partition happened in 1947, but if you want more information, the 1947 Partition Archives is a great resource and is trying to collect as many stories from survivors.

 I hope that Zarina’s story can shed some more light on the partition told from a Muslim girl’s perspective. Also, this is a work of historical fiction! My grandmother inspired many of the stories in this book. With that being said, as you know, a novel has to have a beginning, middle, and end. It has to have a plot and tension, so I took the liberty to fictionalize.

Link to order here.

Writing Process

SSS: When did you start writing the story and was the process a long one?

RF: So I was actually pregnant with my baby so I didn’t just have an editorial deadline, I also had a human deadline! I managed to complete the novel, edit it with critique partners, and turn it in within that 9 month window. I wrote the novel in 2023 and am glad that it is becoming a real book next month!

SSS: How is the process of writing a historical novel in verse different from contemporary?

RF: It’s SO different and much more time consuming. I was constantly fact checking and trying to make sure I had the environment and voice down. One can get easily lost in the research component, so I had to remind myself to keep writing as I researched. I had tons of tabs open in my google search. I also was exchanging a flurry of voice memos with my grandmother to make sure I had her stories right. I also found a Facebook group of my grandmother’s boarding school St. Denys’ so it was fun to show her pictures of her school and to look up old experiences. Sharing that with my grandmother felt special. 

SSS: Any advice for fellow middle-grade authors? 

RF: Publishing is a hard place to be. I feel like a duck trying to stay afloat in the publishing industry. It may look easy to see someone’s names with books attached to it but behind the scenes, I am editing, promoting, working, and most of all trying to write in these trying times. Publishing also seems extra slow these days, but I feel we all have important stories to tell. Giving up is so much easier, (don’t we all have so many other things we could be focusing on?!) but we really just need that one editorial yes! (This is advice I need to tell myself too !) 

Bonus!

SSS: Bonus question! Is there anything I haven’t asked that you’d like to share with us?

RF:

Where can I find you these days?

I’m not on social media or Instagram much these days, and I enjoy the quieter nature of Substack and the interactions between writers. I started a Substack here. I was recently interviewed by Heidi Fiedler for a motherhood interview and I wanted to share it, incase it helps any other authors who are balancing parenting young children and trying to write. I will always have my blog and I plan to feature Shehzil Malik, the illustrator of ZARINA DIVIDED, in a detailed interview very soon!

SSS: What else can we look forward to from you?

RF: As of right now, that’s all I have in the works for what’s next, but rest assured I am working behind the scenes! I have another novel in verse about a field hockey playing character who deals with high emotional stakes both on and off the field. I also have written a few lyrical picture book manuscripts and an adult book composed of micro memoir and bits of verse. I am hoping those stories become real books soon! Having stories on submission is both an exhilarating and terrifying time as those rejections can still sting. But I hope and pray to read and write many beautiful novels in verse soon.

Side note, my mother said if I have no more books I could change my career and go into something more lucrative like plumbing LOL! I told her, I’d keep on writing.

Shifa,  I can’t wait to hug your book Sisters Alone! I read it as a document, and it was STUNNING! Thank you so much for having me!

About Reem Faruqi:

 Reem Faruqi  is the award-winning children’s book author of “Lailah’s Lunchbox,” a book based on her own experiences as a young Muslim girl immigrating to the United States. She’s also the author of “Amira’s Picture Day,” “I Can Help,” “Milloo’s Mind,” “Anisa’s International Day,” and four middle grade novels in verse, “Unsettled,” “Golden Girl,” “Call Me Adnan,” and “Zarina Divided” many of which received starred reviews. After surviving Atlanta traffic and the school drop off, Reem spends her days trying to write, but instead gets distracted easily by her camera and buttery sunlight. Reem Faruqi lives in Atlanta with her husband and four daughters. You can find her at www.ReemFaruqi.comor on Instagram or Substack.

Website: www.ReemFaruqi.com

INSTAGRAM: www.instagram.com/ReemFaruqi

Substack: https://reemfaruqi.substack.com/

Twitter: www.twitter.com/ReemFaruqi