Review: Boy from Three Worlds by Farida Mirza

Boy from Three Worlds by Farida Mirza is a tender and acutely observed middle grade story of family and belonging, identity and self-hood, what it means to be a child and what it means to grow up, for an engrossing blend of social realism and adventure.

As the title indicates, the novel is about the meaning of home in a world where so many people find themselves torn between different countries, societies, customs, and worldviews. Within this swirl of cultures, the choices you make reveal who you are as an individual, and set your place within your family, bridging the divide between past and future.

Waris is the boy of the title, an 8th grader like many others – a keen soccer player and a good student, albeit with a weakness in math. His father, however, is less than charitable; a stern and taciturn man, he shows Waris nothing but constant severity and disappointment, telling him off for every little thing and offering no affection or visible signs of love, much to Waris and his mother’s dismay.

When his father says he’s taking him to live on Pakistan’s border with Afghanistan for a few months, Waris is disdainful, not considering his ancestral home to be his country or culture. Little does he know that this will prove to be a trip that will change his conception of himself, as well as his relationship with his seemingly impenetrable father.

In these new surroundings, Waris has to not only make new friends and acclimatize himself to his father’s hometown, but to a whole new way of doing things – a process that his father does not help with at all. Fortunately, he has a gang of friends to help him along, including Jenny, an American girl who bestows upon him the eponymous moniker of “a boy from three worlds” and oft-smiling Amma, the household’s domestic help. However, Amma is hiding a secret that will lead the group of kids on an extraordinary journey, involving rescue, international intrigue, and even the police.

The narrative stays close to Waris and focuses on his point of view, allowing the reader to deeply empathize with his thoughts and feelings as the story progresses. In particular, the portrait of Waris’ relationship with his father is wonderfully described, with the authentic ring of truth on every page, no matter your country of upbringing. These relationships are portrayed with searing realism, in which love and pain entwine, propelling the novel forward on the strength of these character portraits, even before getting to the adventure with Amma. For a book aimed at this age group, Mirza lays out a bold set of circumstances that doesn’t pull any punches, while still being conveyed with grace and subtlety.

Suitable for children but riveting for adults as well, Boy from Three Worlds is an adventure story with heart, reminiscent of RL Stevenson in its skilled balance of these two elements. Expertly constructed and lucidly written, it will delight and haunt readers in equal measure for its evocative depiction of family conflict, and its uplifting portrait of a boy coming to understand his roots.

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