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Same Sun Here

3.96 of 5 stars 3.96 · rating details · 597 ratings · 180 reviews

In this extraordinary novel in two voices, an Indian immigrant girl in New York City and a Kentucky coal miner’s son find strength and perspective by sharing their true selves across the miles.

Meena and River have a lot in common: fathers forced to work away from home to make ends meet, grandmothers who mean the world to them, and faithful dogs. But Meena is an Indian immi...more

Hardcover, 288 pages

Published February 14th 2012 by Candlewick

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Jan 21, 2012 Jo rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: for-review, 2012, good-grief, gorgeous-prose, just-been-cutting-onions, kiddlywinks, oh-how-we-laugh, ya, you-got-a-friend-in-me, e

Pre-Review Thoughts: I have such a love/hate relationship with Netgalley. I love it because it’s an invaluable way for me, as a British blogger, to get access to books that aren’t published over here for months or, in some instances, at all. I hate it because it always seems that when a new book comes out it’s a fight to the death to get accepted for the popular, well publicised titles. But what I love most about Netgalley is finding books such as this one that I would probably never have found...more

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Mar 18, 2012 Paul Hankins rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: can-t-miss-read-aloud, friends-in-the-business, january-2012, middle-grade-memorable-writing, middle-grade-touching, middle-grade-touching-poignant-dive, mr-hankins-says-don-t-miss, young-adult-issue-don-t-miss, young-adult-loss-and-grief-healing, young-adult-memorable-writing, young-adult-multicultural, young-adult-social-issues, epistolary-novel

What kind of genre is necessary to demonstrate that two characters--despite their differences in nationality and identity--share some of the same celebrations? The same concerns? The same worries? The same sun?

Epistolary, of course. Correspondence between two characters is well-recognized within the canon to include classics like THE SCREWTAPE LETTERS and DADDY LONG-LEGS.

And here, Silas House and Neela Vaswani create a memorable relationship--carried by letters written back and forth--between R...more

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May 20, 2013 Pamela rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: children, multicultural-books, realistic-fiction

Gr 4-7 – Told through a series of letters from two pen pals, House and Vaswani tell a story full of heartache and triumph. Meena recently immigrated from Mussoorie, India, where she was raised by her grandmother as her parents and brother tried to save enough money for her plane ticket to New York City. River lives with his grandmother and mother in the mountains of eastern Kentucky. Though their backgrounds seem worlds apart, both middle schoolers discover that they have much in common, like th...more Gr 4-7 – Told through a series of letters from two pen pals, House and Vaswani tell a story full of heartache and triumph. Meena recently immigrated from Mussoorie, India, where she was raised by her grandmother as her parents and brother tried to save enough money for her plane ticket to New York City. River lives with his grandmother and mother in the mountains of eastern Kentucky. Though their backgrounds seem worlds apart, both middle schoolers discover that they have much in common, like their attachments to their grandmothers and fathers who are working away from the family to make ends meet, and soon become best friends. Vowing to be completely truthful, both children are comfortable enough to admit their own ignorance of the other’s culture and ask for explanations for things they do not understand, allowing for misconceptions to be cleared and acceptance and respect to form. This helps to reinforce to readers that it is okay to admit ignorance, but to ask questions about other cultures instead of embracing stereotypes as truth. Stereotypes are discussed, but Meena and River also exchange letters that include subjects that are familiar to fourth through seventh graders, like bullying, shaving, love, and books, making them relatable characters regardless of cultural background. As the year progresses, River begins to see his beautiful mountains destroyed by Mountaintop Removal Mining, and an accident stemming from the mining forces River, his grandmother, and others in their Appalachian community to take action. At the same time, Meena grieves the loss of her grandmother and is frightened to lose the rent-controlled apartment that her family lives in illegally. Throughout these experiences, River and Meena provide support and serve as an outlet for their fears, concerns, and happiness through photographs, illustrations, and descriptive prose. Told over the backdrop of the end of the 2008 election, Obama’s eventual election and inauguration represents to both characters the promise of the American Dream and the hope for their situations to improve. House and Vaswani use their own experiences and research to develop characters that are true to their backgrounds; House is renowned for his novels about the Appalachian Kentucky experience and has also been honored for his work in environmentalism, and Vaswani is half-Indian, lives in New York City, and is an education activist in India. Though the novel ends with no clear resolution, it does not take away from the powerful story of an unlikely friendship.(less)

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Feb 10, 2013 Clement Leveau rated it 4 of 5 stars

Clement Leveau 1/19/13
7-1 BSGE
Same Sun Here
In the book Same Sun Here there are two main characters River and Meena. Both are described as being very similar being that they have the same likes and dislikes and that they love their grandmothers. How ever they also have many features that are different. One way they are different is that they have different views on race. For example Meena’s mother cried while Obama was being inaugurated because it gave her hope that an president might one day...more Clement Leveau 1/19/13
7-1 BSGE
Same Sun Here
In the book Same Sun Here there are two main characters River and Meena. Both are described as being very similar being that they have the same likes and dislikes and that they love their grandmothers. How ever they also have many features that are different. One way they are different is that they have different views on race. For example Meena’s mother cried while Obama was being inaugurated because it gave her hope that an president might one day be Indian. However River’s family is happy because they agree with Obama’s policies and ideas they didn’t care as much about the fact that this meant people from other countries could become American presidents.
Though Meena and River are very alike they are also different because they both come from different back rounds and different countries. Meena comes from a village in India and River and all of River’s family is from Kentucky. This provides a lot of differences between the two characters because they culturally different. Meena says that a crazy old man called her family “terrorists” she then writes about this to River. When River responds to Meena he confesses that he would have thought they were terrorists too. Though I disagree with River on this I don’t blame him for thinking that, after all he does live in a town where there is only one Indian and he hears about Terrorist organizations on the news.
Though Meena and River are very alike they are also different for Example River seems to show ignorance when Meena discusses world religions. For example River asked Meena in one of his letters why Indian women had a red pin attached to there fore heads however it is not a pin but a dot. Another example of this is when Meena and River have small disagreements about religion. River thinks that his holey days should be Holydays for everyone. How ever Meena disagrees and wants everyone to have there own Holidays. How everboth Meena and River both use ahimsa which is an Indian word for peaceful protest this unites both of their cultures which is one of the leading symbols of the book.
River and Meena are both different because they have different problems in their life. For example River has the issue of the coal company drilling in his mountains and damaging property. Meena has the problem that she is going to get kicked out of her apartment which is illegally owned by them. At the end of the book she actually gets kicked out of her apartment. And as for River there is a huge landslide that destroys his gym and handicaps his best friend Mark. Though both of these problems are unrelated they both have to do with decisions that the government makes. That means that this book is very critical to the George Bush administration.
In conclusion both Meena and River both have differences but at the end of the day they still get along as best friends.
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Dec 23, 2012 The Styling Librarian rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: realistic-fiction, kids-books, middle-school, favorites

Same Sun Here by Silas House & Neela Vaswani - I admit it, I LOVE book where there are different voices communicating with one another. This one especially flowed well in addition to touching on multiple sensitive topics in a beautiful way... I loved the messages mingled through the book as well, quite powerful. Additionally, I found so many "golden lines" - favorite lines- throughout the book, I started an Evernote log for them. Here are a few treasured lines:p. 5 "In New York, the building...more

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Oct 14, 2012 Rebecca rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: children, family-story

In 2008, two kids become pen pals through a school program. Meena is a new immigrant to NYC from India; her parents and older brother came over first, then it took them six years to raise enough money to bring over Meena, who in the meantime was living in the mountains with her grandmother. They live (illegally) in a rent-controlled apartment in Chinatown, where the landlord is trying his hardest to make all the tenants so uncomfortable they will leave so he can sell the apartments to the highes...more

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Aug 13, 2012 Diana rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: america, coming-of-age, family, fiction, friendship, grief, racism, ssyra

Meena is an Indian immigrant living in New York City. Her father works in New Jersey and doesn't get to see the family often. She misses her Dadi (grandmother) who's still back in India.

River is a coal miner's son living in Kentucky with his Mamaw and depressed mother. His father had to go down to Mississippi to find work. His town is being threatened by mountaintop removal.

These two very different people learn that they have a lot in common when they become pen pals as part of a class project....more

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Jul 25, 2012 Mary rated it 4 of 5 stars

I basically loved this book, which consists of letters and emails between Meena, a girl in New York City, and River, a boy in Kentucky. As the letters progress, readers learn that these kids are facing some serious problems. Meena misses her Dadi - her grandmother in the hills of India. River's dad is away rebuilding after Katrina, and his mom is plagued with acute migraines and depression, leaving his grandma to raise him. Worse yet, Meena's family may face eviction as they struggle to gain cit...more

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Jun 03, 2012 Nicole rated it 5 of 5 stars

A moving, emotionally charged epistolary novel! With a gentle and deft touch, the authors manage to discuss so many important topics. I won't summarize the novel here - a complete summary can be found on many other reviews - so I will simply say why this novel deserves a place in my classroom.

Meena's story mirrors that of many urban immigrant students. Her voice is an often missing, overlooked one in middle grade fiction, and I'm pleased to see her story come to life here. Juxtaposed with Meena...more

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May 12, 2012 Barbara rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: families, immigration, ncbla2013, school, writing

On the surface of this story, told through letters from the two main characters to one another, Meena and River might seem to have little in common. After all, Meena is an Indian immigrant girl who lives in Chinatown in New York City while River is the son on a Kentucky coal miner. From a school assignment requiring students to write their pen pals, the two get to know each other well and become friends, sharing secrets and dispelling assumptions each has about the other. Their voices are unique...more

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May 06, 2012 Erica Karcher rated it 5 of 5 stars

Told as pen pal letters written between two youngsters who choose each other from a class list and opt to write and send snail mail letters (a rarity compared to the email option), readers get to know Meena, an immigrant from India living in New York City, and River, a native and lover of Kentucky, and learn about their families, struggles, worries, and vast curiosities about each other. This whole time, while Meena worries about the grandmother she left behind in India, and River worries about...more

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Apr 26, 2012 Mary rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: early-novel, environmental, feelings, friends, grandparents, middle-grade-novel, school

Meena and River are pen pals from New York and Kentucky respectively. Meena and her family are immigrants from India that are studying to become citizens and living in their neighbor's son's rent controlled apartment illegally. River and his family are facing mountain top removal of a mountain that is very close to their property. Through snail mail letters between the two children, we witness two very different but similar lives in the United States. The characters are very well developed and s...more

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Apr 25, 2012 Patsi Trollinger rated it 4 of 5 stars

A persuasive bookseller at the Morris Book Shop in Lexington, KY, knew I'd be glad to learn about the latest children's book by fellow Kentuckian Silas House. She was right. As I began reading, the first thing to intrigue me was the fact that Silas co-authored this with Neela Vaswani, who lives in New York City. The next thing was the book's clever structure as a series of letters exchanged between 12-year-old pen pals: a boy named River who lives in eastern Kentucky and a girl named Meena, orig...more

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Apr 16, 2012 The Rusty Key rated it 5 of 5 stars

Reviewed by Jordan B. Nielsen

Recommended for: Both boys and girls ages 10 and Up for discussion of racism, troubled family life and general maturity of themes. The narrative is split between a male and female character making it relatable to either gender.

One Word Summary: Ebullient.

Same Sun Here by Silas House and Neela Vaswani is like a blast of air conditioning from an open door on a baking hot Manhattan day, at once refreshing, relieving, sweet and enlivening. With easy, commanding authori...more Reviewed by Jordan B. Nielsen

Recommended for: Both boys and girls ages 10 and Up for discussion of racism, troubled family life and general maturity of themes. The narrative is split between a male and female character making it relatable to either gender.

One Word Summary: Ebullient.

Same Sun Here by Silas House and Neela Vaswani is like a blast of air conditioning from an open door on a baking hot Manhattan day, at once refreshing, relieving, sweet and enlivening. With easy, commanding authority the authors wholly embody the voices of their two characters, far-flung pen pals River and Meena, delivering a story that wrenches the reader with its honesty, clarity and verve.

Told as a series of letters, and a few emails, Same Sun Here is the story of two utterly different lives joined by a common spirit and a class project. Twelve-year-old River Dean Justice lives in a tiny town near the mountains of Kentucky under the care of his spitfire grandmother, ‘Mawmaw’, the only liberal in the state. River’s father was laid off by the coal mining company and had to move south to find work to keep the family afloat. Soon after, River’s mother became crippled by devastating migraines which sapped her strength and her capacity to care for her son. Though he adores his Mawmaw, River longs for the time when his family was whole and everyone was happy. Thousands of miles north in New York City, Meena Joshi is an Indian immigrant squatting in a one-bedroom apartment with her parents and brother in Chinatown. Meena was also raised by her grandmother, ‘Dadi’, in a mountain town in India because her parents could only afford to bring one child to America with them. It wasn’t until Meena was ten years old that she was reunited with her parents whom she didn’t even recognize, so long had it been since she’d seen them. Now in America, Meena’s father also has to move to another state to find work.
The two are paired as pen pals in the summer of 2008, and politics are at the forefront of everyone’s minds. With the historic election of Barack Obama ahead of them, conversations about race seem to touch everyone, particularly Meena and River. Through their letters, which span the course of ten months, we learn of both the large and small-scale problems that are shaping each of their worlds. Not only is River’s home life divided, but a Mountain Top Removal project (a mining process that literally blasts off the top of a mountain to reveal coal seams) is ripping his town apart as well, physically and ideologically. Runoff from the project pollutes the rivers and jeopardizes the safety of the citizens below, but the more seismic divide erupts between those who oppose the project for its environmental hazards (like River’s Mawmaw who turns community organizer to try to stop the project) and those who support the project because it brings much needed jobs to their town.

In New York, Meena and her parents are applying for American citizenship. Though excited by the opportunities that her new country has to offer, Meena is homesick for her lush town in India, and for her grandmother who was left behind. At every turn the culture of America seems to reject her, as ignorant strangers accuse her of being a terrorist, and the hovering landlord applies cruel tactics to push her and her neighbors out of their rent controlled apartments. The moral ambiguity of being an immigrant and squatting illegally in someone else’s apartment weighs on Meena and makes it that much harder to acclimate to her new country. Even at home Meena feels out of place as she begins to question how her parents could have just left her in India for so many years.

As dramatic and fascinatingly nuanced as those plot points are, the heart of the story and what makes Same Sun Here so successful is the relationship that develops between River and Meena. Against this socio-political backdrop, they are just two kids trying to figure it all out. Each feels like an outsider in their own way, but through their letters they find commonality in their shared curiosity about one another and the world around them. We can be our “true selves” with one another, Meena and River continually say. There is a naïve purity to their interactions that is truly beautiful to experience as they question and learn from one another, free from judgment. Well, nearly free from judgment. Meena does attempt to tell River about the first time she shaved her legs which River was none to thrilled to read about, a segment that elicits some good laughs.

As letters, the story is obviously written in the first person, alternating between the two perspectives and the authors must be commended for the voicing of the two characters, which are richly real and never falter. These feel like letters from children, full of poor grammar and slang and the kind of well-meaning bluntness you can only find in people of this age. I’m unaware of how the authors worked together to create this story, I’d imagine that Neela Vaswani wrote the letters from Meena, and Silas House wrote River’s (but gee wouldn’t it be neat if the opposite were true?) but whatever the process, it’s the truth in the voicing that really wins the book.

An instant entrant into our Golden Key Collection, Same Sun Here is a celebration of our diversity and the human capacity to find commonality over any divide. A story infused with hope and wonderment that’s sure to be a shoe-in for some big awards this season, Same Sun Here is a true delight that’s not to be missed.

For more reviews, author interviews, reading lists, and feature articles from The Rusty Key, visit us at www.therustykey.com
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Mar 24, 2012 Richie Partington rated it 5 of 5 stars

Richie’s Picks: SAME SUN HERE by Silas House and Neela Vaswani, Candlewick, February 2012, 288p., ISBN: 978-0-7636-5684-3

“I just might have a problem that you’ll understand
We all need somebody to lean on.”
-- Bill Withers (who grew up in an Appalachian coal-mining town)

River:

“I have never met anybody from New York City before. I’ve always heard that people from up there are real rude and will not hold the door for you, and you’ll get mugged if you walk down the street. Is that true? My mamaw say...more

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Feb 12, 2012 Kathy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: j-fiction

An unlikely combination of subjects - coal mining through mountaintop removal and living illegally in a rent-controlled apartment - are joined in this epistolary novel, a moving series of letters between pen pals from Kentucky and New York City's Chinatown. Choosing a name randomly from the snail mail list, 12-year-old Meena Joshi from NY strikes up a friendship with River Dean Justice from Kentucky. Their letters reveal their parallel family issues, shared love for their grandmothers, environme...more

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May 30, 2012 Patricia rated it 4 of 5 stars

River lives in Kentucky and witnesses the mountaintop mining that is destroying his natural surroundings. River's dad works in offshore drilling since he was laid off as a coal miner with the arrival of MTR.

Meena lives in NYC, an immigrant from India. Her apartment is in Chinatown. She lives with her mother, brother, and father who only comes home one weekend a month from his job in a NJ restaurant.

As the two young people describe in their letters their diverse lives, we see the things that the...more

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Jan 25, 2012 Abby Johnson rated it 5 of 5 stars

When New Yorker Meena and Kentucky boy River sign up for a pen pal program, they have no idea that they're each finding a kindred spirit. Who would have thought that two 12-year-olds from such different backgrounds could have so much in common? Meena was born in India and moved to New York City to be with her family when she was nine. River has lived in a tiny town in Eastern Kentucky his entire life. As the two write letters back and forth, they discover that they share a love of mountains, the...more

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Feb 28, 2012 Annette rated it 2 of 5 stars

This book is a collection of letters written from the perspective of a 12 year old immigrant from India and a 12 year old boy from Kentucky. What could have been endearing and thought provoking became annoying and unbelievable. On one hand the writing style seemed exactly like a 12 year old would write. On the other hand, there were many times I just couldn't believe that a 12 year old would write (or draw) the way it was presented in the book.

An excerpt: "The sun sets so early these days. This...more

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Sep 10, 2012 Sandy rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: alternating-viewpoints, diary-or-letters, friendship, multicultural, juvenile-fiction

This was a nice book and everything, but I got crabby every time something political came up. Unfortunately, that was quite often.

I'm totally fine with lessons in social responsibility and being good to your neighbor or even references to specific historic political events, but it seemed to me that these authors had a clear political agenda. Only one end of the political spectrum was ever mentioned and it was brougt up repeatedly and only in glowing terms. I don't care what political party you...more

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Feb 13, 2012 Cassi aka Snow White Haggard rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: galleys, read-in-2012

I'm beginning to think that I don't just occasionally enjoy middle grade books, but I might legitimately love it as a genre. I keep reading middle grade books or younger YA books that I think are the exception to the rule. But not everything can be the exception.

Same Sun Here is a delightful story, innocent and youthful. Its the tale of two pen pals. Meena was born in India but currently living in New York City. River is from rural Eastern Kentucky. (Though the county is supposedly fictionalized...more I'm beginning to think that I don't just occasionally enjoy middle grade books, but I might legitimately love it as a genre. I keep reading middle grade books or younger YA books that I think are the exception to the rule. But not everything can be the exception.

Same Sun Here is a delightful story, innocent and youthful. Its the tale of two pen pals. Meena was born in India but currently living in New York City. River is from rural Eastern Kentucky. (Though the county is supposedly fictionalized, it's pretty much London KY. The Dairy Dart reference gives it away).

Letters can be lovely or tedious. Same Sun Now is maybe the best pen pal story that I've ever read (at least the best in a long time). The letters feel real, using lots of exclamation points and loooooooooots of silly antics people use when writing letters, while still maintaining readability. Because of the co-authoring of this book both characters have distinct voices.

"It's weird that you are originally from the mountains, because that's where I live now. I looked up where you were born online and it's cool because the mountains there look so much like mine, with pine trees and everything. I always expected India to only have big palm trees for some reason." (River)

Meena is adorable, mixing memories of India with tales of New York City. I've never been to the city but she gives it both personality and problems. She'll talk about the subway, buying mangos on a stick from a stand, but also rent controlled apartments and evil landlords. Often I feel like New York is either idealized or criminalized in stories. This was a nice mix.

River is a country boy. His childhood sounds a bit like mine, playing in the creek, roaming the woods and climbing trees. His mamaw is a political activist, something that I think is a rarity in Kentucky. I know Silas House's politics and I feel like he's a little heavy handed with them in this novel. For me that's the biggest flaw in this book. It can't just be a cute story about two kids who find out they have more in common than different. It has to become an issue book about mountaintop removal.

I've been open about how I'm sensitive about the portrayal of Appalachians and the complicated relationship we have with coal. House does a much better job of handling the issue than the The Evening Hour (an adult novel set in WV that I recently reviewed). He at least acknowledges that within Appalachia there are two sides. But after a cursory nod to the other side, he makes his opinion very obvious.

What I like is the two characters with contrasting lives and cultures. For me that's beautiful and works so well. But near the end of the book it comes more about the issue of coal than the characters of Meena and River. Overall I liked this book. But I started out absolutely loving and my love waned. Sometimes that's the worst feeling with a book. Still it's a delightful book about two kindred spirits, finding friendship despite their differences.

On a related note this book gave me an interesting conundrum and I'm curious to see other people's opinions. Near the end there's a scene where River meets the governor of Kentucky. However, rather than using the real governors name they had a fictionalized governor. This gave me pause because the letters are dated (2008 & 2009) and it's a contemporary book set in the real world. Does this bother anyone else? It really bothered me. It felt contrived because it took me out of the story. (less)

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Jan 07, 2012 Marika rated it 4 of 5 stars

Though I picked up the book based on a recommendation, I was also drawn in by the beautiful cut-paper cover. The silhouettes of both characters allow readers to see themselves on the cover, and the vivid orange is immediately eye-catching. Faced-out, this book will call to be picked-up.

When Meena, an Indian immigrant in NYC's Chinatown, becomes pen-pals with River, a boy in rural Kentucky, it's initially for a school project. Neither imagine how much they'll write or how important having a far-...more

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Mar 26, 2012 Thomas Holbrook rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book begins with one of the best first lines I have read. It speaks of the core of what one is about to read in the next 300 pages, it causes the reader to consider what shapes relationships, how one relates in them and it introduces the characters who make up the book establishing the rules by which they will develop their relationship. The characters, Meena Joshi, an Indian immigrant living in New York City and River Dean Justice, an eighth grader in the mountains of Eastern Kentucky, as...more This book begins with one of the best first lines I have read. It speaks of the core of what one is about to read in the next 300 pages, it causes the reader to consider what shapes relationships, how one relates in them and it introduces the characters who make up the book establishing the rules by which they will develop their relationship. The characters, Meena Joshi, an Indian immigrant living in New York City and River Dean Justice, an eighth grader in the mountains of Eastern Kentucky, as part of a school assignment, have elected to be pen pals the “old school” way – writing letters and send them through the postal mail.
The authors are marvelously adept at giving voice to two adolescents. The vulnerability, innocence, drama and trusting nature of early adulthood are present in the words these two likeable characters use to introduce themselves to each other. As the book develops, this trust is proven to be sound enough for each to share secrets ranging from being large enough to be dangerous if discovered to embarrassing enough to make life miserable if exposed at school. Reading the letters, as the story is told entirely through the letters written to each other, is both a trip down “memory lane,” recalling the anticipation of receiving a letter & the thoughtful process of penning a response and a glimpse into the contemporary world with its dangers, injustice, excitement and discovery.
There were points I feared this book would become a political rant writ in a new format, but the authors never overstate any issue raised. Neither do they shy from speaking some of the important issues of present society: mountain top removal, immigration, education, sexual identity, the fragility and definition of wealth, sports, parents and romance are some of the deep moments shared in the correspondence. I do not know if Meena’s name would have more meaning for me if I spoke Hindi, but “River Justice” causes me to remember the struggle for civil rights and the ongoing discovery of what “civil rights” mean. The discussion of Meena shaving her legs had me in stitches; the telling of River’s Christmas break basketball practice was so rooted in reality that it was horrific. The book ends just as River and Meena’s relationship is shifting and would never again be as simple.
This is a book written for the “Young Adult” audience and it is one that will hopefully be read by many Middle School students in the near future. There is too much encapsulated in it that needs to be openly discussed as those things are already being privately considered. There is no “inappropriate” language or sexual situations, the violence is scary in its commonness and the commonality of Meena’s and River’s lives connected with me, both in my recall of my being 12 and of my experience working with people that age.
I had the pleasure of seeing the most recent play written by Mr. House in its premier week. I was affected and challenged in ways that were not always comfortable but apparently needed. I have enjoyed all the novels written by him and consider him to be one of the rising stars of American Literature. Ms. Vaswani’s writing here shows her talent to be comparable to that of Mr. House. Their voice(s) are clear and much needed. Hopefully, they will be heard by those young enough (regardless of their age) for those words to take root and affect a change for the good in the world.
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Jan 30, 2012 Elisabeth Jewell rated it 4 of 5 stars

A sweet story written as letters between two twelve-year-old penpals, who begin writing to each other as part of a school assignment. Meena is an Indian immigrant in New York City, struggling to find a balance between her Indian culture and family, and her new American home. River is the son of Kentucky coal miners, watching the mountain in his town get destroyed by an ecologically irresponsible mining company (utilizing the controversial mining technique called Mountain Top Removal).
Neither fu...more

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Oct 07, 2012 Jenny rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: children-s-books

Meena and River are pen pals. Meena is an Indian girl living in New York City. She is living in a rent controlled apartment with her mom and brother and a next door neighbor Mrs. Lau and Mrs. Lau's dog Cuba. Her father is a chef and only gets to come home on occasional weekends. The family is trying to become naturalized citizens. River is a boy living in Kentucky. He lives with his MawMaw (grandma) and mom. His dad couldn't find a job in their town so he is working in a bigger city and comes ho...more

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Nov 18, 2012 Shayla.boyle rated it 3 of 5 stars

From two different states, this book is a story of two friends, Meena and River, who become pen pals. Through this unique friendship, the two share their lives with each other including their family, interests, and differences. They reveal that Meena is an Indian girl whose family is trying to gain citizenship in America. Yet River is the son of a coal miner in Kentucky. After writing each other extensively for a year, River decides that he is going to fly to New York to visit Meena. But when Me...more

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May 31, 2012 Anna rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction

Maybe if I were more of a middle readers person, I wouldn't have gotten bogged down here and there in this book. On the one hand, I really liked parts of it (especially learning about the New York girl who had been born in India). On the other hand, I didn't believe in the Appalachian boy at all, and even though I agree with him about mountaintop removal, I felt like the author was cramming the issue down my throat.

On an unrelated note, I kept hoping there would be an afterword explaining how th...more

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Sep 29, 2012 Cecilia Pryor rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: spalding

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Meena's last letter was probably the only thing I actually liked about it, even though it was cheesy as hell. I was not fond if this book for many reasons.

-Speaking of the end, it *was* cheesy. It worked, because it was believable, but, it was rather like a "clap your hands for TinkerBell" ending.
-Writing letters as two characters because there are two authors? To me, that is a very sloppy/lazy way of incorporating two writers, not to mention just a sloppy way of writing. Everything in the story...more Meena's last letter was probably the only thing I actually liked about it, even though it was cheesy as hell. I was not fond if this book for many reasons.

-Speaking of the end, it *was* cheesy. It worked, because it was believable, but, it was rather like a "clap your hands for TinkerBell" ending.
-Writing letters as two characters because there are two authors? To me, that is a very sloppy/lazy way of incorporating two writers, not to mention just a sloppy way of writing. Everything in the story is telling with little showing. I'm disappointed these authors didn't work harder to combat that.
-Very poignant lines *are* found in the novel, but they are either unbelievable for the characters' ages or put in someone else's mouth to be parroted through the letters. It made the intended beauty of the words fall flat and sound forced.
-Characters have two distinct backgrounds, but that is not reflected in their writing styles/voices (aka Meena was Indian-American and learned British English, but spoke perfect American English? River was a Kentucky boy who wanted to be a journalist, but, again, didn't really sound like an aspiring journalist. River being raised in Kentucky, I was expecting more southern colloquialisms than those repeated from his grandmother.)
-Meena was supposedly handwriting her first letters. They were in the same font as River's and had no misspellings/crossing outs, or anything to indicate they were actually supposed to look different. Stylistic error.
-The book was very preachy about MTR (and I am 100% pro environment) and heavy handed with the themes of sexism, class, and racism. I felt like it was sloppy and could have been done better.
-The whole drama surrounding River's mother: she had migraines because she was poor and stressed and suddenly they magically disappear? That conversation she tells River this is so awkward it's painful to read. It had such a feel of Dues ex machina, it isn't even funny. They needed the mother incapacitated, but not permanently...let's make her a temporary invalid. Yeah! As I know someone who has constant migraine issues, I feel this was handled poorly.
-River comes out and says his age (thank god), but I spent so long trying to work out Meena's age until she FINALLY gave a good answer. That's just a personal pet peeve--she made me do math. Logically, I guess I could have ASSUMED she was the same age, but my pen pals were always older or younger than me. Knowing she Indian-American, I thought they could have paired her off with a person of a younger age to help her to learn more about American culture/linguistics.
-Both kept mentioning what they were reading--always classics (with the exception of what River's friend was reading). It seemed a bit far-fetched two 12 year olds would only read classics, and willingly outside of class at that.

Overall, I was largely unimpressed with this book. I had to read it for a class, or I wouldn't have made it passed the fist chapter. What it did have going for it:
+Short, easy read
+Both Meena and River were well-rounded, had flaws and quirks (while some stereotypical, were still believable)
+The last letter with Meena's homelessness was a good resolution on her story line. You wonder through the book if/when it's going to happen and when it does, you have this twist of pride the authors followed through with reality: living sucks when you're poor.
+River's storyline where he ends up the hero-of-the-day with his jar-o-orange-sludge rather than his grandmother. People do rally behind children for causes (You only do this if you hate children! You don't HATE children?!). It was a good, realistic moment.

Again, I wouldn't recommend reading this book. There are better written letter-type stories out there(even though I do hate the style-choice in general). However, with the good lines in the book, I might try and read a few of these authors' separate works. It is clear they can write by those brief bursts of beautiful prose, but this book, to me, was a poor representation of their skills.
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Jul 03, 2012 Elizabeth rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book is charming. It is about pen pals Meena and River who are living parallel lives. First off, it is so lovely that they approach the pen pal project in the "old school" fashion. They write mostly via snail mail. Yippee! Second, the authors who co-wrote the book bring so much to bear on the characters. Neela Vaswani is the voice of Meena and Silas House is the voice of River. Meena is from India and living in New York City. River is living in Appalachia in Kentucky. One thing they have in...more

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Apr 07, 2012 Donna rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-lit

I am sad to say that I finished reading Same Sun Here by Silas House and Neela Vaswani. Sad because I love these children and don't want to let them go. It's similar to the feeling that I have in June when the 8th graders who have bounced up and down in my face for three years head out the front door for the last time.

I'll admit to some eye rolling before starting because of the very unlikely plot - an Indian immigrant child living in a rent-controlled apartment in NYC and a hillbilly kid from...more

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About Silas House

Silas House is an American writer best known for his novels. He is also a music journalist, environmental activist, and columnist. He lives in Eastern Kentucky, where he was born and raised.

House's fiction is known for its attention to the natural world, working class characters, and the plight of the rural place and rural people. He is also a music journalist, environmental activist and columnist...more Silas House is an American writer best known for his novels. He is also a music journalist, environmental activist, and columnist. He lives in Eastern Kentucky, where he was born and raised.

House's fiction is known for its attention to the natural world, working class characters, and the plight of the rural place and rural people. He is also a music journalist, environmental activist and columnist. House has written features or press kits on such artists as Kris Kristofferson, LeAnn Womack, Lucinda Williams, Nickel Creek, Kelly Willis, Buddy Miller, Darrell Scott, Delbert McClinton, Tim O'Brien, Scott Miller, and many more.

In 2000, House was chosen, along with since-published authors Pamela Duncan, Jeanne Braselton and Jack Riggs, as one of the ten emerging talents in the south by the Millennial Gathering of Writers at Vanderbilt University. House served as a writer in residence at Eastern Kentucky University from 2004-2005 and at Lincoln Memorial University from 2005-2010. At LMU he also directed the Mountain Heritage Literary Festival. In 2010 House became the National Endowment for Humanities Chair in Appalachian Studies at Berea College in Berea, Kentucky. He has served on the fiction faculty at Spalding University's MFA in Creative Writing since 2005. In 2010 House was selected as the focus of the Silas House Literary Festival at Emory and Henry College in Emory, Virginia. The same year he was chosen as Appalachian Writer of the Year by Shepherd University in Shepherdstown, West Virginia.

Since 2005 House has been increasingly visible in the fight against mountaintop removal mining, an environmentally devastating form of coal mining that blasts the entire top off a mountain and fills the valley below with the debris. House wrote the original draft of the 2005 Kentucky authors' statement against the practice; since the draft more than three dozen authors have signed it. House has published many articles about mountaintop removal and has performed at various concerts as a member of Public Outcry, an acoustic band formed for the purpose of raising awareness of mountaintop removal mining. The other members of the group are authors George Ella Lyon and Anne Shelby, with musicians Jason Howard, Jessie Lynne Keltner and Kate Larken. Public Outcry tours college campuses to educate students about mountaintop removal. House and Howard also perform together as The Doolittles. (less)

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Something's Rising: Appalachians Fighting Mountaintop Removal

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Quotes from Same Sun Here

“In New York, the buildings are like mountains in some ways, but they are only alive because of the people living in them. Real mountains are alive all over.” — 2 people liked it

“I like that library books have secret lives. All those hands that have held them. All those eyes that have read them.” — 1 person liked it

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