A mother shares a story of survival and remembrance with her young son in this moving narrative nonfiction picture book inspired by one family's experience of the 1947 Partition of India.
On a stormy night, unable to sleep, a young boy asks his mother to tell him the story of their family.
The tale she recounts begins in 1947, when India was partitioned into the new nations of India and Pakistan, forcing millions of people from their homes. For this family, this meant leaving everything behind and searching for new lives so different from the ones they'd known.
As the storm rages outside, mother and son look back across generations to ancestors whose resilience, courage, and unwavering hope for a brighter future carried them through decades of hardship and uncertainty.
Inspired by the author's own family history, Their Story Is Our Story brings a deeply personal perspective to a defining event in South Asian history. Moving between past and present, the book explores the loss of a homeland and the memories people carry with them as they begin again. Tender and accessible, it invites young readers to consider why the stories we inherit matter—and why we keep telling them.
- A PERSONAL WINDOW INTO THE 1947 PARTITION: One family's story of survival following the Partition of India gives readers an intimate, age-appropriate way to understand displacement and its lasting impact.
- HISTORY THROUGH FAMILY MEMORY: A mother sharing the past with her son shows how momentous events continue to shape later generations, while the family's Hindu experience offers a perspective rarely centered in picture books.
- IMPORTANT SOUTH ASIAN HISTORY FOR YOUNG READERS: The book introduces the creation of India and Pakistan through the experiences of ordinary people whose lives were upended by Partition.
- REIMAGINING HOME AFTER DISPLACEMENT: The narrative explores what it means to leave a familiar place, confront hardship, and create a new life without losing connection to what came before.
- EVOCATIVE ARTWORK: Expressive illustrations add vibrancy and emotional depth, giving this complex history a powerful visual dimension.
- FOR FAMILIES, CLASSROOMS & LIBRARIES: A valuable resource for ages 7–10 exploring the Partition of India, South Asian history, migration, and intergenerational memory.
Ritu Hemnani is a journalist, teacher, motivational speaker, and children's author who hopes that every child can see themselves in the pages of a book. Ritu writes for the South China Morning Post and shared her journey in her TEDx Talk, “An Inheritance Worth Sharing.” Their Story Is Our Story, her debut picture book, encourages young readers to embrace their unique narratives and discover their true potential. She believes that a little empathy can go a long way and that, sometimes, it's the first step toward changing the world. An Indian British national, Ritu lives in Hong Kong with her husband and three children. You can find her online at rituhemnani.com.
Viplov Singh is a multidisciplinary artist, illustrator, and animator known for his distinct visual voice and masterful draftsmanship. Drawing inspiration from traditional art while bringing a contemporary edge, he creates work that invites viewers into spaces where beauty and inner reflection meet. His illustrations and animations have appeared on many global platforms, including Netflix, Disney, and Google. Born in India, raised between cultures, and now based in Toronto, he continues to shape visual stories that stir the soul. Discover more of his work at viplovsingh.com.