The Secret Diary of Mona Hasan

Name: The Secret Diary of Mona Hasan
Brand: Penguin Random House Audio
Availability: InStock
Author: Salma Hussain
ISBN: 9781770499447

Author: Salma Hussain

Narrator: Asia Mattu

Unabridged: 7 hr 36 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tundra Books

Published: 05/03/2022

Categories: Children's Fiction, Children's Social Themes, Children's Humor

Synopsis

Mona learns to find her voice over the course of a year that sees her immigrating from Dubai to Canada in this novel for fans of Front Desk by Kelly Yang.

Mona Hasan is a young Muslim girl growing up in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, when the first Gulf War breaks out in 1991. The war isn’t what she expects — “We didn’t even get any days off school! Just my luck” — especially when the ground offensive is over so quickly and her family peels the masking tape off their windows. Her parents, however, fear there is no peace in the region, and it sparks a major change in their lives.

Over the course of one year, Mona falls in love, speaks up to protect her younger sister, loses her best friend to the new girl at school, has summer adventures with her cousins in Pakistan, immigrates to Canada, and pursues her ambition to be a feminist and a poet.

About The Author

SALMA HUSSAIN grew up in the U.A.E., and immigrated to Canada when she was thirteen years old. She has a B.A. (Hon.) in English Literature, with a concentration in creative writing from the University of Calgary, a law degree from the University of Calgary, and a Master's in Law from McGill University. Her short stories and poems have been published in filling Station, West Coast Line, Other Voices, and in the anthology Homebound: Muslim Women Poetry Collection (Outburst Press). She is a graduate of the Humber Summer Writing Workshop and won the International Festival of Authors’ Litjam short story competition (2018). She was also a mentee in the Diaspora Dialogues long-form mentorship program last year. She lives with her family in Toronto.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Zara on January 07, 2022

What an amazing book! I can't wait to read this wonderful book. This book sounds like it has everything that a realistic fiction book needs!......more

Goodreads review by Sheeza on June 01, 2022

This book was healing for me because this book WAS ME when I landed in Canada in 1999, age 12. (I mean that as a metaphor people, please relax). Salma Hussain captured the heartache of a little brown girl who is trying to figure out who she is and how to carry the burden of thankfulness parents expe......more

Goodreads review by Gayatri Sethi on May 03, 2022

There’s so much to admire & relish about the book. 📝 This book is written as a diary. I find this a compelling genre. 🤣 It’s witty, vulnerable & revealing. The humor in these pages is a definite highlight. 💙 Mona & her family go through many changes & transitions. The story offers us a window into com......more

Goodreads review by Jackie on May 24, 2022

The Secret Diary of Mona Hasan is such a fun, multi-layered MG novel. I have always loved diary novels but as a writer, know how difficult it can be to pull off. Hussain manages to make readers feel like they're on the journey with her main character, Mona, with her use of humor, emotion and a perfe......more

Goodreads review by Minda on April 24, 2022

Mona is a unique girl with a interesting life. This diary style book follows this middle school girl in 1991 Dubai in UAE. The Gulf War is going on and her parents decide to immigrate to a different county. There are serious situations but several laughs. This book would be great pared with nonficti......more

Quotes

A Quill & Quire 2022 Book of the Year
One of CCBC's Best Books for Kids & Teens (Fall 2022)
One of Kids Committee List's 2024 Silver Birch Fiction Readers Books

"An ambitious novel that is both heartfelt and tongue-in-cheek." —Kirkus Reviews

"Mona’s voice is good-humored, and her diary entries—comprising lists, poems, and letters from supporting characters—amalgamate into a wise and introspective debut." —Publishers Weekly

"Upper elementary and middle grade readers will identify with this spunky, thoughtful, 12-year-old heroine . . . the short vignettes of this book are perfect for reluctant readers and may spark conversations about war, Operation Desert Storm, immigration, international affairs, the Muslim religion, and school equality for girls." —School Library Journal

"Mona is a well-developed, believable protagonist. . . . An important story, delivered with a light touch." —CM: Canadian Review of Materials

Awards

Geoffrey Bilson Award for Historical Fiction for Young People