The Freedom Seeker

Twelve-year-old Simi Singh lives in India with her Sikh father and Muslim mother. Her life is permeated with their love, as well as that of her maternal and paternal grandparents. Life at home feels secure and happy, and at school Simi is thriving academically and in extracurricular sports.

However, in her community a cruel story is unfolding as members of a political movement striving to keep India “pure” resort to violence to show their objection to interfaith marriages.

When Simi’s dad, Abbu, is assaulted, and her mom, Ammi, is threatened, the family fears that aggression and hatred will only intensify. They decide that Abbu must leave as soon as he is restored to health and go to New York City where his cousin can help him find work and prepare a place for Simi and Ammi.

Though Abbu’s journey to America goes smoothly, when Ammi and Simi apply for political asylum, their request for visas is rejected. But staying in India isn’t an option. Simi and her mom face the terrifying prospect of crossing the Sonoran Desert from Mexico to Arizona. When Simi is separated from Ammi, she panics. Still, she copes with the help of unexpected allies, children like herself caught in a migration nightmare and caring adults who despise the injustice they are witnessing and show kindness in small ways to alleviate trauma and fear and help children reunite with their families.

This novel for middle-grade readers deals with the disturbing and alarming realities of children waiting in detention centers for months, families being separated, smugglers taking advantage of desperate people, child trafficking, and more. In an author note, Ruchira Gupta encourages readers to understand that what her fictional characters experience are actual occurrences faced by real kids today.

Children shaped by the biblical narrative of God’s redemption through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ will encounter in Simi’s story various religious beliefs and practices unlike their own. The input of a Christian adult who also reads the book would be beneficial should questions arise. Though recommended for children ages 8 to 12, the book is better suited to ages 11 and older due to its difficult subject matter.

(Scholastic Press)