Children of the Hidden Land (Mandira Shah)
It is great to see Indian authors writing books for teenagers - books that bring to the fore political issues that our young women and men should be aware of and should be sensitized about. Children of the Hidden Land is one such book that I got to read recently. The story happens in Imphal valley, in Manipur in the present day. 15 year old April has grown up seeing curfews, tear gas shells, disappearances and children going missing. Her own sister went missing a few years ago and her mother goes to the Police Station every day in the hope of finding something about her daughter. Now her best friend Henthoiba goes missing and she is plagued with worry and can do anything to find him. Into this city comes Shalini from the “mainland”, whose childhood problems have been mundane so far and the biggest among them being trying to prove to her father, an Army officer, that she is as brave and strong as a boy. While her army background makes her a target of derision and suspi...
