Pri, an Indian-American teen, is a talented artist and is mostly happy with her life. She enjoys classes with her favorite teacher and looks forward to outings with her Uncle Jatin, whom Pri sees as a father-like figure. But Pri is curious about India. She is curious about her family still living there. She is curious about her father, who disappeared before she was born. But Pri's mother refuses to speak about any of this, and this causes a lot of tension between mother and daughter.
Then Uncle Jatin announces he and Pri's aunt are going to have a baby. This will bring an end to how much time they spend together. Feeling hurt and angry and lost, Pri wishes the baby would go away. And when the baby gets sick, she blames herself.
Then Pri discovers an old Pashmina in an old suitcase. And when she tries it on, she is magically transported to an idealistic version of India, all shining palaces and brightly-colored marketplaces. As the baby's health worsens and as the fights with her mother become more frequent, Pri begins to use this magic shawl to escape from her unhappy reality.
When a twist of fate allows Pri the opportunity to visit her aunt and uncle in India, she discovers the reality doesn't match the visions she saw while wearing the Pashmina. But in learning the truth about India, Pri also learns the truth about her mother's past and about herself.
Pashmina, a graphic novel by Nidhi Chanani, is a fun and accessible coming-of-age story about a teen trying to learn about herself while balancing two very different cultures. Pri is a likable and relatable character, and readers will sympathize with her as she tries to understand herself better by attempting to learn more about her Indian culture. For those unfamiliar with Indian words and concepts, a glossary is provided. But readers will likely not need this often, as most things are understood within the context of the story.
Overall, Pashmina was a highly enjoyable story. I look forward to reading more of this author's books. --AJB
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