A Thousand Questions

By Saadia Faruqi

Two girls in Karachi form an unexpected bond to pursue their dreams amidst family challenges.

4.2/5 Goodreads · 1,755 ratings

320 pages· 62,224 words· Est. 8.5 hour read

$16.99Save 6%

In stock. Also at Amazon or Bookshop.

Bookroo's summary

In Karachi, Mimi, visiting her grandparents, secretly seeks her absent father. Sakina, the cook's daughter, dreams of school but fears losing her family's income. As summer unfolds, these unlikely friends discover they need each other to chase their dreams. Can they overcome their differences and help each other succeed?

From the publisher

Set against the backdrop of Karachi, Pakistan, Saadia Faruqi’s tender and honest middle grade novel tells the story of two girls navigating a summer of change and family upheaval with kind hearts, big dreams, and all the right questions.

Mimi is not thrilled to be spending her summer in Karachi, Pakistan, with grandparents she’s never met. Secretly, she wishes to find her long-absent father, and plans to write to him in her beautiful new journal.

The cook’s daughter, Sakina, still hasn’t told her parents that she’ll be accepted to school only if she can improve her English test score—but then, how could her family possibly afford to lose the money she earns working with her Abba in a rich family’s kitchen?

Although the girls seem totally incompatible at first, as the summer goes on, Sakina and Mimi realize that they have plenty in common—and that they each need the other to get what they want most.

This relatable and empathetic story about two friends coming to understand each other will resonate with readers who loved Other Words for Home and Front Desk.

At a glance