The Power of Preserving and Passing Down Family Histories, a guest post by Ritu Hemnani

Family stories have been shared and handed down through generations since time immemorial. They entertain us, educate us, and strengthen the bonds between relations. However, the power of family stories goes even deeper–they can represent our greatest inheritance.

My Beginning

My parents never shared their story. And I never asked. But one day, my daughter asked how we came to be in Hong Kong. I remember standing in the doorway, as she sat on the bed with them. My parents were reluctant to answer, saying “We left that in the past so we could move forward,” but with my daughter’s persistence, they relented and took us back in time to 1947, and the Partition of India.

“It was a frightening time. We had to leave Sindh practically overnight.” When they shared about having to say goodbye to families they’d known for generations and flee on trains, not knowing if they would survive, I sat down too.

Over fourteen million people lost their homes and over one million died during the largest mass migration in world history, but that day, hearing the ache in their voices made it personal. Their story was my story after all, and suddenly, I wanted to know everything.

Finding Lost Treasure

As my parents shared more, I realized why they had kept silent all these years. Just imagine being told to leave the only home you’ve ever known, losing loved ones, the trauma of people fighting with knives and guns on a train, the trauma of not having any money and not knowing where your next meal is going to come from, where you’re going to live, or what you can pass down to the next generation when you have nothing in your pockets.

In my family, our greatest loss was my great-grandfather, Dada Lalchand Dalamall. He chose to stay behind in Sindh, when everyone was fleeing, to give a respectful cremation to the murdered victims. He said it was the highest form of sheva (service) and if he didn’t do it, then who would? He was never seen again.

Hearing about their loss and suffering filled me with sadness. But when they spoke of how their families tapped into an inner strength to face each new challenge with resilience, working tirelessly and making sacrifices to adapt and rebuild their lives, I was in awe of their courage. They had lost everything materially but what mattered most was how they responded to hardship–with bravery, perseverance, and compassion.

This is what stayed with me–not the difficulties of their past, but the resolute human spirit as they overcame. I felt a new surge of pride in the faces of adversity that were my forebears, and their example instilled in me the belief that with courage, we can overcome anything.

Preserving the Past

My parents’ migration story served as the seed that blossomed into my debut middle-grade novel in verse, Lion of the Sky. I wanted to bring their ancestral homeland of Sindh to life, recreating the sensory richness of the place – its sounds, scents, flavors, and rhythm of life – so readers could truly feel 12-year-old Raj’s sense of loss upon being forced to leave behind his home, family and all that was familiar.

At its heart, this is a story of identity, belonging, and the power of hope. It celebrates the strength of friendship, the comfort that traditions like food can provide, and the resilience of the human spirit in facing adversity and soaring after falling.

Most of all, I wanted readers to understand that even in the darkest of times, there remains reason to hope. Just as my Sindhi ancestors rebuilt their lives despite unimaginable hardship, finding both courage and community, Raj too could envision a brighter future – of rebuilding connections, reuniting with loved ones, and ultimately finding safe harbor once more. It is a story of resilience and a reminder that even in our darkest hours, hope remains.

Celebrating Resilience

What I didn’t expect was the deep impact my book would have on my children. From using Sindhi phrases such as “dado sutho,” requesting to eat traditional dishes, like pakwan dal, and asking to play carrom board, a traditional Sindhi game, they have developed a deeper appreciation for their roots. My parents have been delighted to witness this new enthusiasm, hoping it helps preserve our language and customs for generations to come.

Beyond fostering cultural pride, the tales of courage shown by my elders in difficult times have also given my children a strong family narrative to call their own. They now see themselves as the continuation of a lineage that has persevered through immense challenges with resolve and determination. These ancestral stories have truly become an inspiration–a reminder of their capacity to weather life’s hardships.

Bridging Worlds

Through learning of their ancestors’ experiences as refugees, my children have also developed a deeper empathy for others displaced by conflicts around the globe. Being able to see through the eyes of refugees of the past has given them perspective into suffering in the present. It has helped them understand the hopes and hardships transcending differences in time, place, and background. This empathy, born of family history, fosters compassion for people divided by forces beyond their control.

In a world still reeling from division, displacement, and discord, cultivating empathy through shared stories of resilience can help heal wounds. If we can relate to one another across perceived boundaries, we move closer to the understanding on which justice and peace are built. Connection through stories may help guide our steps toward a future where all find acceptance as fellow inhabitants of this earth.

Empowering Future Generations

The stories of hardship and hope in my parents’ and grandparents’ lives have proven the most valuable gift passed down to my children. Learning of the determination with which our family has overcome adversity over generations has fueled their sense of capability to thrive despite life’s obstacles. In this way, the courage and resilience of those who came before are kept alive to empower those who will shape the future. Of all we can leave to our future generations, a rich store of familial wisdom and virtue preserved through stories must be the most cherished inheritance of all.

Meet the author

Ritu Hemnani is a journalist, teacher, voice actor, and motivational speaker. She recognizes herself as ethnically Indian and a British national and calls Hong Kong her home, where she lives with her husband and three children. Lion of the Sky is Ritu’s debut middle grade novel. You can find her online at rituhemnani.com.

Tweets by RituHemwrites

https://www.instagram.com/authorrituhemnani/

About Lion of the Sky

An evocative historical novel in verse about a boy and his family who are forced to flee their home and become refugees after the British Partition of India. Perfect for fans of Other Words for Home. 

Twelve-year-old Raj is happiest flying kites with his best friend, Iqbal. As their kites soar, Raj feels free, like his beloved India soon will be, and he can’t wait to celebrate their independence.

But when a British lawyer draws a line across a map, splitting India in two, Raj is thrust into a fractured world. With Partition declared, Hindu, Sikh, and Muslim families are torn apart—and Raj’s Hindu and Iqbal’s Muslim families are among them.

Forced to flee and become refugees, Raj’s family is left to start over in a new country. After suffering devastating losses, Raj must summon the courage to survive the brutal upheaval of both his country and his heart.

Inspired by the author’s true family history, Lion of the Sky is a deeply moving coming-of-age tale about identity, belonging, and the power of hope.

ISBN-13: 9780063284487
Publisher: HarperCollins
Publication date: 05/07/2024
Age Range: 8 – 12 Years

Filed under: Uncategorized