This novel is a beautiful read. Set in Pakistan, the protagonist is on a journey to discover her grandfather's past. This novel discusses a historical narrative that is often hidden in mainstream history. The themes of loss, love and learning is heavily encapsulated throughout the novel.

Thank you Netgalley and Yali Books for the opportunity to read and review this eARC.

This was a really interesting book - it has tons of potential, but at this point still feels unfinished/unrefined. The story begins when Maera and her older brother Asad are visiting family in Pakistan. Asad wanders away from the other children one night to explore, and goes into a mysterious greenhouse in their grandfather's backyard, one that has always been out of bounds. He's never seen again.

Ten years later, Maera is nearing the end of high school when her grandfather Haroon dies, and his mysterious greenhouse appears in her backyard - thousands of miles away, in the US. Maera's mother, already broken by the devastating loss of her child, hardly seems to notice or care, and when her mother's twin sister appears, she doesn't seem to notice it either. Maera and her cousin Jamaal - who wants to be called Jimmy - want to find the truth, and they begin with the diary that appeared in Maera's room the same day as the greenhouse. In it, they find Haroon's story...

This book swaps perspectives between modern day and the tumultuous, painful time around the partition of Hindustan into India and Pakistan. I understand why- the author, a diaspora child herself, wanted to explore the past through the lens of a modern Pakistani-American. However, the chapters told from Maera's perspective read very "middle grade" and simplistic with Maera arguing with her mom, forgoing prayers, and crushing on the boy next door. I think middle grade certainly has a place and an audience, but it's just not my thing. I nearly put this book down as a DNF.

But Haroon's story in WWII era Hindustan into Partition was rich, vibrant, engaging, and scary. His chapters really highlight Hindustani-Pakistani culture and storytelling, making use of frightening Churailen. (For those who want a visual reference for a churail, I strongly suggest the movie Bulbul on netflix; they are really pretty scary!) Haroon and Shah Jehan's story is definitely written in a way that suits an older audience, not so much middle grade. There are some really dark themes involved. Appropriate, for such a dark era, but the change between Maera's and Haroon's povs is so stark and abrupt that it's jarring. If the Maera portions of the book were tightened up and edited some to better fit the tone of Haroon's story I think this would be a five star read.

Liked the diversity, but the book felt a bit slow and kind of pointless. I liked that an otherwise buried part of history got brought to life, but it was kind of predictable, so I have mixed feelings.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for an advance reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

House of Glass Hearts was an enjoyable read. The plot focuses on Maera in the present time dealing with grief, family struggles, and the mysterious greenhouse that had appeared in her backyard overnight-and her grandfather's life in the past. I enjoyed the grandfathers point of view and learning about his life more than I did Maera's story. I learned a lot about colonial India that I never knew. The magical elements to the story were an amazing touch.

I thought the writing was really good. My only downside about the writing was how slow paced the book was. A lot of the action didn't happen until halfway through, which got me a little bored during the first half.

The characters were all enjoyable for the most part. By the end of the story I felt Maera's character fell a bit flat. A heartfelt conversation between her and her mother would have been a great addition.

Overall, I liked the book and I will definitely read more historical fiction by Leila Siddiqui.

When Maera's grandfather dies, the strange greenhouse from his yard in Pakistan appears in her backyard in Virginia. And Maera is convinced it will help unravel the mystery of her brother's disappearance ten years before.

From the start the book grabs you. There is magic, mystery and something mystical with the undertones of a story that needs to be learnt. We meet Asad, a vibrant, rambunctious 9 year old, who makes his way into a forbidden place leaving his family forever scarred.

The story alternates between two timelines, one of Maera, Asad's younger sister, who is on her way to college now; she is faced with a greenhouse appearing in her backyard in the middle of the night after her grandfather's passing, the same greenhouse that used to exist in her grandfather's home in Pakistan. The second timeline is that of her grandfather, during WWII and the partition of Hindustan into India and Pakistan and follows his life and how these events changed it.

This book captures the heart of the damage and trauma of that partition, the lives lost, scarred and changed forever as seen through the eyes of a first generation immigrant growing up in America. It shines a light into a history that is not taught at all or sometimes glossed over when the bloody history of WWII is taught and the atrocities and lasting damage that the partition had on India and colonialism had on Asia! It also captures the legends and myths that used to haunt India and the fragility of women in a culture and time where men had the power.

This book is also about taking the scars of the past and moving forward, healing and finding new purpose. For we all have to keep moving forward no matter how heartbreaking things get.

It weaves history and myth to tell a story so beautiful it had me heartbroken and crying by the end. I would definitely recommend this book for its honesty and beauty and unapologetic and unbiased look at a dark and terrible time in history.

***I would like to note a few things, there is a scene when Rob and Maera are in the greenhouse and he removes a branch from the pathway, one moment he is confronting her and the next she is somehow on the ground and has one of her brother's toys in her hand, it feels like a scene is missing. I also noted that the word "was" is missing in 'as if she (was) perpetually'.

Full disclosure: This was provided via Netgalley in return for an honest review.

Baseline: I loved this book.
I almost didn't pick up this one but I'm so glad that I did, this book had historical fiction, mythical creatures and modern day mysteries all wrapped into one and it was amazing.
As someone thats not that into historical fiction I was concerned that those aspects of this book were going to be a real drag to get through but a mixture of the writing style and the pacing together made this super interesting to read.
I loved the way the author gave additional context to Maeras timeline by telling the story of her grandfathers life, it both lead the story on in a smooth way while also balancing out the horrific nature of some aspects of the historic timeline of this book but still giving those events the space to be impactful.
Knowing nothing about Pakistani folklaw/mythology the inclusion of this simultaneously taught me about it while also making it super accessible so I never felt punished as a reader for not knowing about it before. Super interesting concepts all round and the author did a solid job of melding mythology, true historical events and modern day fiction all together at once.
Definitely worth a read

DNF at 25%

After reading other reviews and requesting this book I was expecting to really love it. I enjoy historical fiction and multiple perspectives. However, I found the beginning clunky and not as engaging as I wanted it to be. While there seemed promise that relationships between characters would show more the further I got into the book, the sudden change in timelines with the journal made me lose what little investment I had in the original characters.

Beautiful book cover, lovely premise, just not for me.

Percy Jackson meets Historical Fiction in this haunting tale by Leila Siddiqui, who beautifully blends Indian/Pakistani history and myth together in House of Glass Hearts. Siddiqui beautifully tells the untold stories of her – and many other’s – ancestors as she explores India’s involvement in World War 2 and their fight for freedom from British colonisation, as well as the Partition of India that followed.

The changing perspectives of protagonist Maera (as she searches for her long-lost brother in modern times) and Maera’s nanni/grandfather, Haroon (as he recounts living through WW2 and Indian Partition in the 1940s) helps build suspense and keep the reader engaged. Siddiqui frames the narrative in such a way that we can be simultaneously horrified by the devastating actions of some and tragic circumstances of many, and also inspired by the resilience and optimism of those who survived the horrors to pass their heritage and legacy on in their descendants. There are a few times when the narrative feels rushed as Siddiqui tries to fit a lot of action into the novel. The occasional Indian/Pakistani words throughout the novel give it a personal and authentic feel, although I’m not sure how easy it would have been to understand without using the Kindle search feature (as I did). The bibliography at the end gives the novel a credible quality whilst the explanation of Siddiqui’s own family history adds a sentimental touch to the narrative.

House of Glass Hearts is a beautiful tale centred around family and lost loved ones. Siddiqui reminds us of the importance of being together and supporting each other during difficult times, whilst also conveying the significance of knowing about and discussing our pasts and our heritage, so that we may use them to move forward towards our futures.

House of Glass Hearts is a great blend of magic and historical events. It's extremely well-written and the characters are well-developed and empowering. Overall, it's an excellent read.

I love this kind of plot structure that switches between the past and present. I have read a few of these kinds of books before and I think you can never go wrong with them, especially when you’re implementing heavy subjects such as world war II and the Partition. This way, the story flowed nicely, and the heavy subjects were interwoven in a lighter story of a sister trying to get her long-lost brother back.
What I loved about the plot is that Siddiqui wasn’t afraid to dive straight into the story right away. It pulled me in fast and I loved the narrating styles. As a Dutch woman this book reminded me of the books by Hella S. Haasse, who in her life wrote multiple books about the white and indigenous experience in Indonesia at the time of colonisation and after the world war. I loved her books and definitely loved this one too.
I had no prior experience with Indian and Pakistani culture or history, so this book was a really nice introduction. I could follow along really well and enjoyed the cultural elements implemented in the book. The only thing that pulled me out of the story in the beginning were the Hindi words, like Ammi (mother) and Naana (Grandfather). But after the first time looking up the meaning I was pulled straight back into the story. Now the words carried more meaning and helped the story a fair bit with feeling like you were in India or Pakistan.
I would recommend everyone to read this book to learn about a history that’s not spoken about often enough. I would also strongly recommend the author’s note at the end. If the book didn’t bring you to tears, the author’s note will. Siddiqui tells a very personal story which I felt throughout the book but hearing it directly from her means so much more to me. I loved her book, it was an emotional rollercoaster to read, diving into heavy subjects and shining a light on history that matters.

thank you to Netgalley for providing me with this book early. (I did not request this book. It was open for everyone to read).

This is a solid 4-star book for me and a really good debut.

This book follows Maera, a Pakistani-American teen; after her grandfather dies, his greenhouse suddenly appears in her backyard, and after years of avoiding talking about the Past and her brother's disappearance, that Past suddenly shows up and is basically unavoidable, and Maera and her mother have to confront it at some point.

I loved how we were thrown straight into the story, it was perfect because that's basically what happened to these characters. I'm also in love with this concept; avoiding the Past until a physical manifestation of it just shows up in your backyard, unexpected, and I love seeing how all these characters actually dealt with it, it felt very real. This fantasy aspect of the book was a great way of showing how characters dealt with the past.

I loved the two timelines of Maera's present-day and her grandfather's POV from India right before and during the partition (The reading list in the author's note was great - will definitely check that out) The history was explored through diary entries of his and I loved how everything was slowly revealed and coming together in the end, the reader was reading the diaries as Maera was discovering it and I think that was so much fun.

I felt like the writing got a bit slow at points in the middle and then really fast in the end (though I do love how the author writes these action-packed scenes that are at the same time really emotional, I did tear up at the end) Some things in the end happened that were expected but other things just completely blew my mind, this was a great book, I definitely recommend this!

I really enjoyed this book! It was a great read, i didnt want to put it down! I would recommend this to my friends and family

I’d like to thank NetGalley for letting me read the e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

3.4/5 stars

I enjoyed this book. This is the first time I’ve read a book that follows 2 plot lines - one in the past and one in modern setting. It was very interesting to learn about India’s history during WW2 and the mass migration of Muslims and Hindus crossing the border of India and Pakistan. I’ve never even heard about these events before. I also liked learning more about the Indian and Pakistani culture, along with some legends and terms.
The magical realism aspect of this book was also good - this weird greenhouse from her grandfather’s house in Pakistan suddenly appears on Maera’s backyard. I would never have guessed the ending!

However, I think that this book is not for everyone. If you don’t like historical fiction - this book is not for you. If you want to read something fast paced - this is not it. Introduction felt like ages for me and there was barely anything happening until like 60-70% of the book. As for the rest 30% - so fast that sometimes I had reread the page to understand what is happening. The ending was sad and surprising.

A beautifully put together tale of history and magic to throw light on the state of the children of immigrants.

Under mysterious circumstances, Maera's elder brother Asad vanishes in their grandfather's house in Karachi. After many years, the past resurfaces in the form of a greenhouse in Maera's backyard when her grandfather dies. With only her grandfather's diary and vague knowledge about her roots, Maera must figure out what happened in the past to protect the present.

The construction of the plot and two timelines is brilliant. Especially, the narration of India's division after independence, the plight of the people, the yearning and emotion to have their home was so intricate and vivid, that I felt like I was there with them. Although the question of greenhouse and how it is all connected hangs in the air, the Maera's childish nature and not so impactful characters in the present hold the story from attaining its full potential. I felt the actions of Maera and her friends inside the greenhouse were muddled and hard to imagine the full visual. Despite the above default, the story packs a solid punch and intends to deliver it perfectly.

With sublime interweaving of history and magical realism, this book exhibits the long-forgotten story of India's division and its after-effect through the eyes of Maera and her family.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of the book for review!

Gosh this book was so interesting! It paralleled two timelines, which I've usually found I don't enjoy in books, but this one pulled it off so well. I found myself invested in the characters from both time periods. The book got off to a bit of a slow start, but once the plot got rolling, I could not put this book down and when I opened another book, all I wanted was to go back to this one. The way it seamlessly combines myth and real life was stunning, and I loved simultaneously learning about a new culture with the backdrop of an incredibly magical setting. I've only just finished this book, so I'm not exactly sure what to say about it, but I'd recommend it to fans of magical realism and literally anything else. Once you're sucked into the story, you're entranced for the rest of the book, and I was pleasantly surprised by this book.

I plan to post my review on my blog on September 1, 2021. It is as follows:

In this book, Maera and her mother are still struggling to adjust to the mysterious disappearance of her brother ten years earlier. Then, a day after her grandfather passes, his greenhouse appears in Maera's backyard. The book jumps back and forth between Maera in present day and her grandfather's childhood. With the help of her cousin and friends, she must figure out what has caused the greenhouse to appear.

I was not prepared for how dark this book would be. It covers an era of Indian/Pakistani history that often goes untaught in schools. As such, the horrors that characters experienced were new to me. The chapters which centered around Maera's grandfather were more interesting and engaging to me. The imagery painted a creepy picture that had goosebumps trailing up my arms at times.

Unfortunately, Maera did not feel like a very dynamic character and she made some decisions that didn't quite make sense. The ending felt rushed. I would have liked to have another fifty or one hundred pages to get to know Maera and her family better. That might have made her actions make more sense.

Though this book was not what I expected, I believe that it is valuable for young people to read because it provides a picture of an unspoken history. I would like to include it in my library because it provides a different perspective than many history textbooks do. Leila Siddiqui wrote in her author's note about how many children of immigrants, her included, are missing much of their family history. This would be a great book for parents and their children to discuss and open a dialogue about their own family history.

I enjoyed this book and it made me think about the British Empire and the whole way in which the colonizers treated the countries they simply took over. I am British and so very much versed in the 2nd world war, but not from an Indian / Pakistan point of view. I also know about partition, but never really thought about how the line drawn to suddenly create 2 countries affected the people of India or how Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs were suddenly turned. Into bitter enemies.
Costa Rica as a country is probably not as attuned to this as I am, but it’s an excellent book for schools to work with as a lot of the private schools do cover the 2nd world war and this opens up interesting multiple discussion points.

The magic element of it I also liked and think this fits well with superstitions and local beliefs in such creatures and possibilities.

I never ask for an author to visit the store as it’s to generally practical. But a virtual author session with schools could be useful.

It’s really cool that different cultures are getting more representation. My best friend is South Asian and speaks Urdu and I love when I can send a book to her where she may be able to find a little bit of herself and culture written into a story.

This was a cute story with a really interesting concept. The writing felt a little juvenile, like this could’ve been a middle grade series if the characters were younger, but overall a good read.

I don't want to give any spoilers, so I won't go in detail. 'House of Glass Hearts' was a great read! I fell into this world very easily. The characters - Maera especially - had me on my toes. I loved the mystery to it all and I found myself smiling through the read. I would definitely recommend this.