In the Key of Nira Ghani

February 1, 2019
Nira Ghani is the only brown girl in her Canadian school yet she feels invisible.She stands out for the wrong reasons and longs to feel a sense of belonging. She's a Guyanese child of immigrant parents who have traditional values and dream for her to become a doctor, but her passion is music. The only people Nira feels truly see her are her grandmother and her best friend, Emily. Nira decides to audition for the jazz band at school, knowing that getting her parents to consent will be a battle. She nevertheless makes a plan, which includes getting a job to cover the cost of a trumpet--something else her parents will oppose. But these are not her only challenges. Nira finds that life doesn't unfold the way you picture it or even how you want it to, and she learns the value in unexpected blessings and lessons. She navigates changes in her relationships with friends, family, and even a potential new love. Deen (Lark Takes a Bow, 2018, etc.) infuses her family's Guyanese immigrant history into this novel about the exploration and discovery of self and the world. Mentions of everyday cultural traditions are welcome additions to this tale of a teen finding the courage to stand up for her individuality while honoring the people she comes from.A charming, honest, and heartwarming story that will leave readers satiated and happy. (Fiction. 12-adult)

COPYRIGHT(2019) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

April 1, 2019

Gr 9 Up-Nira is the only child of a strict, lower middle class Guyanese couple living in America with her loving, wise grandmother. Expectations are high, a medical career the only acceptable one, while Nira identifies as a self-taught trumpet player. The postcolonial reality of a heightened generation gap in the family takes the form of sarcasm, which invades most of Nira's early interactions with her parents. They do not support her music, but her grandmother's peaceful presence with a cup of tea mitigates much of the conflict. When Nira develops a crush on Noah and hears about the competitive auditions for the school jazz band, her social horizons start to shift, as well as her relationship with her stunning cousin, Farah, who has a better wardrobe and a more financially successful set of immigrant parents. When Nira goes on vacation with Farah and gets to know her rebellious cousin better, her insecurity and jealousy come to the surface, but she soon realizes that not every boy likes the prettiest girl on the block-some are attracted to most authentic. Teens looking for characters capable of compassion and forgiveness, as well as characters who transcend the binary stereotypes of a good and bad girl, might find a friend in Nira, relief in Noah, and compassion for the flashier and unhappier Farah. VERDICT A younger high school crowd with an appetite for snark will enjoy the bumpy road that Nira walks toward authenticity, love, and true friendship.-Sara Lissa Paulson, City-As-School High School, New York City

Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Narrator Kamali Minter establishes a passionate voice for Nira, a teen who moved as a child from Guyana to Canada with her parents and grandmother. Now she struggles to find balance between her homelife with her family and her school life with her peers. Nira wishes to be a trumpet player, but her parents do not approve because they fear it will distract her from academic success. Minter expertly transitions between the Canadian accents of Nira's schoolmates and the Guyanese accents of Nira's family members. Teen listeners will be drawn to Nira and her strength as she works to follow her dreams--but also win the approval of her family. M.D. � AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine