Pashmina

by Nidhi Chanani

Priyanka Das has so many unanswered questions: Why did her mother abandon her home in India years ago? What was it like there? And most importantly, who is her father, and why did her mom leave him behind? But Pri's mom avoids these questions--the topic of India is permanently closed.

For Pri, her mother's homeland can only exist in her imagination. That is, until she find a mysterious pashmina tucked away in a forgotten suitcase. When she wraps herself in it, she is transported to a place more vivid and colorful than any guidebook or Bollywood film. But is this the real India? And what is that shadow lurking in the background? To learn the truth, Pri must travel farther than she's ever dared and find the family she never knew.

In this heartwarming graphic novel debut, Nidhi Chanani weaves a tale about the hardship and self-discovery that is born from juggling two cultures and two worlds.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Middle Grade, Fantasy, Young Adult, Comics, Fiction, Magical Realism

176 pages, Paperback

First published October 3, 2017

About the author

Nidhi Chanani is a freelance illustrator, cartoonist and writer. After completing her undergrad literature degree at the University of California at Santa Cruz, Nidhi pursued a career in nonprofits. The desire to draw kept pulling her away and in 2008 she enrolled in art school (only to drop out a year later). In 2009 she began completing one illustration every day of the week. She called this Every Day Love and developed her narrative style and voice with three years of daily practice. Thus began her art career and business.

Born in Calcutta and raised in suburban southern California, Nidhi creates because it makes her happy – with the hope that it can make others happy, too. In April of 2012 she was honored by the Obama Administration as a Champion of Change.

Her debut graphic novel, Pashmina (First Second/Macmillan), released in fall 2017. It received starred reviews in the School Library Journal, Publisher’s Weekly, and was reviewed in the New York Times. Pashmina was a Junior Library Guild selection, Chicago Public Library Best Book of 2017, Texas Maverick Graphic Novel 2017, Northern California Indie Bookseller Association Long-List Title and a YALSA Top Ten Great Graphic Novels for Teens. In March of 2019, the film adaptation of Pashmina with Netflix was announced. Gurinder Chadha (Bend it like Beckham, Blinded by the Light) is set to direct.

In 2018, Jasmine’s New Pet, which she wrote and drew, was released through Dark Horse Comics. Her bilingual board book, Shubh Raatri Dost/Good Night Friend released in 2019. Her debut picture book, written by Bea Birdsong, I will be fierce, released in April 2019. Her next picture book, Binny’s Diwali, written by Thrity Umrigar, released in September 2020. Her second original graphic novel, Jukebox, will release in June 2021.

Her next picture book, Kong and Me, written by Kiki Thorpe, will be released in March 2021. Her author/illustrator debut What will my story be? releases in September 2021. She is currently working on unannounced books. She is an instructor in the Master of Fine Arts, Comics program at the California College of Arts.

Her media appearances include PBS, CNN’s Anderson Cooper 360 and BBC Radio. Her work has been featured on the Huffington Post, the Women’s March, My Modern Met, Bored Panda and India Times. Nidhi is frequently a featured artist with Disney Parks. She has worked with ABC, Airbnb, Sony, Microsoft, State Farm Insurance and a variety of other clients. Her non-fiction comics have appeared in the Nib. Everyday Love Art prints and cards are sold in retail shops throughout California.

Nidhi draws and dreams every day with her husband, kid and their kittens in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Reviews

[Elyse Walters · Rating 5 out of 5]

Author Nidhi Chanani, was born in India, and raised in Southern California. This
gorgeously Illustrated graphic novel had to be - must have been - somewhat inspired by her own memories ( at least at one point in her developmental growing years), a search for her own cultural identity.

Her artwork is so stunning ( first black and white - then moves into incredible colorful colors) - that I actually just flipped through this lovely 5 by 7 size silky paper book looking at the drawings - before settling in and reading the entire story.

At the start of this story Pashmina, in High School, is behind the car driving with her mother sitting right next to her. Mom is not the least bit relax....saying things like,
“In India they don’t allow girls to drive”.... and I didn’t learn until I was 20, two years after coming to this country”.

Mom is a little stifling and definitely overprotective. Pri’s mother has never told her why she left India and came to United States. She wants to know what India’s like and she also wants to know who her father is who her mother left in India.

After Pri finds a mysterious chest that contains a magical scarf - and after winning prize money for a cartoon contest that she had entered, she buys a plane ticket and leaves for India.... and that’s when the illustrations get very colorful.
I guess I ‘can’ understand that Pri didn’t see the United States - Los Angeles- to be anywhere near colorful as India. —lol —and who knows who was President at the time.
Shame on me - I could resist!

Pri is a feisty ‘modern girl’.....ha, seems I mentioned being a modern girl myself in a review just a few days ago.

Pri also has a great imagination.

Great graphic- moving - insightful - fantastical- and FUNNY!

Age range is targeted 10-14....but shhhhhh most adults will adore “Pashmina”, too!

[Evie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a beautifully illustrated middle grade graphic novel! I loved learning about Indian culture, new words in Hindi, and the magical realism. That being said, I felt like the actual story was a bit weak and disjointed. Wasn't a waste of time, but felt like the plot could have been better executed, as well as the characters.

[Dave Schaafsma · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pashmina is a strong girl character comics volume featuring an Indian-American family that reminds (because of the strong ethnic girl aspect) of the Pakistani-Muslim Kamala Khan, aka Ms. Marvel. I wish the artwork of this debut graphic novel weren’t quite so cartoony and the story had more to offer than culture clashes, (and a young aspiring to be a comics star as main character), but I am glad to see more diversity in comics for girls. Glad to see Indian-American culture represented in comics.

[Calista · Rating 4 out of 5]

A story about identity and knowing where you came from. A teenager whose mom came from India wonders about her dad and her past. She and her mom are not having the best relationship right now. The girl wants to go to India and the mother will never step foot there again.

The girl does go on a trip to see her aunt. We see India through the eyes of how it use to be and how it is now. It is an interesting story. There is plenty of angst here. Even once she knows more of her history, it doesn’t fix her life, but it does bring her a peace of mind and it heals a little of her relationship with her mother.

This is mostly black and white, but there are a few color pages. I’m not sure why not make it all color, but it’s not. This is a nice coming of age story for young kids.

[rachel, x · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a sweet contemporary graphic novel about an Indian-American teen learning more about her heritage. The cartoonish art style worked really well to convey the coming-of-age themes and make it appeal to both middle grade and older readers. There was some great commentary on identity and self-discovery but, ultimately, it failed to really delve into these topics.

My biggest problem was the weak plotline. Chanani’s attempt to touch upon several different issues - from bullying to family to feminism - could have worked if the story had more narrative. A dialogue and art-focused medium did not allow these plot threads to be explored to their greatest potential, only briefly touching on each one and then moving on. This split up the story into awkward little sections and it felt incredibly disjointed. The bullying was never really addressed for one, and the comic competition was also rushed and underdeveloped. I wanted more from Priyanka’s relationship with her uncle and how that was resolved.

The magical realism element also did not work in my opinion. While I thought the colouring in those sections were gorgeous, it was confusing. I have no idea how Priyanka remained so calm in those scenes! The explanation was overwhelming, a tad too info-dumpish.

Characterwise, I know Priyanka's story is definitely going to resonate with a lot of readers. The family focus was also wonderful. I loved that the story also touched on being the child of an immigrant.

Overall? I think that this is going to be an important story for a lot of readers but it was too short and rushed for my personal taste. In my opinion, the story would have worked better in a written format with illustrations. Priyanka was definitely a sweet protagonist but I wanted more from her.

➸ Trigger warnings for sexism, hospital, physical illness, and bullying.

▷ Representation: Priyanka (mc) Indian-American; Indian cast.

Blog • Trigger Warning Database • Twitter • Instagram

[First Second Books]

Pashmina is heartfelt young adult graphic novel about an Indian-American teen's attempt to reconnect with her mother’s homeland through a magical pashmina shawl. Follow Pri as she realizes that the India of her imagination is not like the real india, and as she learns the truth to he magical pashmina's origin.

[Rincey · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really sweet, cute middle grade/YA coming of age comic. I would have loved this to be longer to flesh out some of the details of Priyanka's life. But this was a sweet, heartwarming read of a young girl figuring out who she is and details about her family and heritage

Watch me discuss this more in my December wrap up: https://youtu.be/xQg8xt0Or3Q

[Dana Al-Basha | دانة الباشا · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think this is made for children more than teenagers or young adults. I really wanted to like the book but I found the art kind of weak, the story disassembled and prosaic. It needed more work and more details, to build the characters, fantasy, issues from family to jealousy and bullying, traditions and origins and so on, it's all mentioned but it felt empty somehow.



The story is about teenage Priyanka, who lives with her single mom in California. She wants to know who her father is, she wants to hear stories about her family and India, but her mom never speaks about any of it. One day Priyanka finds a pashmina, a shawl made of embroidered silk, which transforms her to India.

[Erica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Priyanka is learning to drive, likes to create comics, has a cool best friend, has a mean blonde enemy, and lives with her mother in California. Her life is fairly standard until two things happen: 1) her beloved uncle and aunt are going to have a baby and she won't see them as often so she 2) asks Shakti to please get rid of the baby because they don't need it, they have her. Soon after, she finds a magical pashmina that transports her to romantic India, making her want to find out about her heritage.

Priyanka learns and grows and understands that she can be proud of being an Indian American and that she doesn't have to sacrifice who she is to be accepted but that she should be more accepting of others, herself.

It's a nice story and I liked it.

[MissBecka Gee · Rating 3 out of 5]

I LOVED the juxtaposition of the B&W vs colour panels to clearly show the magic of the pashmina.
I disliked the choppy transitions of time and place.
It was very difficult to know how much time had passed.
With no clear time-line the story felt rushed and unconnected.

[Danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This graphic novel completely drew me in, and I read it in one go. The very first page sets up the mother-daughter relationship beautifully, establishing tension, humor, and the desire these two characters have to connect.

At its heart, it's a story about choices. The choices the main character, Priyanka makes, some of which she regrets, but all of which are fuel for self-discovery. The choices the women in her family, and other women in India, have made, or felt compelled to make. The choices, the freedom to choose what they want for themselves, that one particular woman wants for herself and for other women to have.

A shawl that connects all of them to their past and their dreams for the future.

SO much to love and explore.

[Marianne (Boricuan Bookworms) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the art, loved the storyline, loved the honest depictions of India, loved Priyanka. A short and sweet graphic novel that more people should read.

[La Coccinelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a weird little book. I don't mind elements of magic in contemporary stories, but this book has a few problems that prevented me from enjoying it more.

The main issue I had was that I'm not sure who the audience is. The main character is probably around 16 (she's learning to drive, and it's mentioned that her mother was her age when she got pregnant), and there are some definite heavier issues dealt with in the story (family drama, a sick baby, abandonment, poverty). However, the pashmina element of the story was ridiculous and juvenile.

So Priyanka finds a pashmina (basically an embroidered scarf) in her mother's things. When she puts it on, she's transported in her mind to India (these sections were done in full colour, while the main narrative was black and white; I liked the contrast). I don't have a problem with this, except for the fact that she's guided around this fictional India by a talking elephant and peacock. That just felt really juvenile, and after finishing, I'm still not sure what the point of those characters was. They made me feel like I'd stepped sideways into a middle-grade title every time the switch happened. And then we discover that the pashmina itself is a lying, manipulative piece of cloth, showing the wearer an idealized version of their future, not necessarily the truth. While it's a nice notion to have the pashmina show women their potential, I think it would've been even better if it had been realistic; as it was, the accessory came across as an overselling manipulator. (I never thought I'd have to say something like that about a scarf!)

The Indian culture that was included (the fashion, food, words, and family relationships) was all done fairly well. I didn't really like Priyanka as a character, but that was probably because I had a hard time connecting with her. I'm not sure she was developed that well. A big part of the story was--or should have been--her drawing her comic books, but it wasn't really emphasized as much as it could've been (especially in the beginning) if it was that big a part of her life. Where it was included, I wasn't impressed. At one point, her teacher suggests she enter a contest. She says no. So he enters for her! I was appalled. If she said no, she might've had a very good reason; entering her comic without consent just seemed a bit creepy... especially considering the crush Priyanka had on said teacher.

Overall, it wasn't the worst graphic novel I've read, but it wasn't the best, either. The cultural elements are good, but they're not quite enough to carry the story, and the juvenile talking animals and magical manipulative pashmina rubbed me the wrong way.

[Fanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

➵ this was cute. and i say that with my fondness for the endearing art style, along with my slight disappointment in terms of the story depth. a young indian-american girl discovering family secrets while navigating an adventure upon finding a fascinating pashmina definitely set up a plot line that adorably hooks, and to most part, it does deliver the resonating themes of reconnecting with one's culture, discovering the beauty of one's homeland, and recognising the privilege of freedom. maybe i simply had very high expectations—and to be honest, i did enjoy it for all the things it was i just didn't love it as much as i thought it would. still, will surely recommend it!

↣ read the comic on scribd ↢

➵ starting this after years of seeing it being recommended as one of those desi stories that you have to read, and honestly, it does sound cute. Maybe graphics-a-thon is a good reason to finally pick this up.

[Dov Zeller · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are so many things to love about this book. It's sweet, whimsical, beautiful, instructive. There are courageous, mutually supportive, spiritually connected, defiant women in here. And the protagonist, Priyanka, goes on a journey of self-discovery. Her mother is from India, and Priyanka grows up in the U.S. and Priyanka decides she wants to go visit her aunt in India.

Actually, Priyanka goes on a few different journeys of self-discovery. She tries to sort through the question of father figures in her life, and the fact that she grew up without a father and has not really managed to have a satisfying conversation about it with her mother.

And in various ways she explores her connection to India, her mother's homeland.

That said, I wasn't fully drawn into the story. It seemed to bounce around from topic to topic and leave a bit too much unexplored and unaddressed. Also, it has mixed-up elements of an adult book and a kids book. Not that that is necessarily a bad thing, but in this case it's a bit confusing.

In many ways, it reads like a middle grade story or younger, but the protagonist is in her later teens I think, and some of the stuff she's dealing with/experiencing is pretty intense. And, it doesn't seem to me that someone in their later teens would wish their uncle/father figure not to have a kid. (That seems to me something that a younger kid might wish for. Hmmmm. No doubt I could be very wrong about that.)

I am still trying to process the relationship between Mausi, Priyanka's aunt who she stays with in India, and Mausi's husband. The relationship seemed strained and oppressive at best. And that's not addressed much.

And the magical elements, while I love the idea of them, weren't very developed and so they seemed a bit gimmicky.

So, all of that said, this book has a lot of charm and some cool art. I'm really glad it exists and I look forward to reading more by this author.

[Elizabeth A · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a cute coming of age story. Priyanka Das has questions. Why did her Mom leave India? What happened, and where/who is her father? Why is the topic of India closed? One day she discovers a mysterious pashmina in her mother's closet, and when she wraps the shawl around herself something magical happens. But things are not quite what they seem.

I love that there is another comic book (nod to Ms. Marvel) that has Indian Americans as the main characters, and that some cultural themes show up on the page. However, this story felt a little too uneven and unfleshed out for my tastes. Granted, this is probably for a middle grade readership, so that might be intentional, but I do wish the themes were explored in more depth. I did love that there were strong women in the story, and the magical realism angle was fun touch. I liked the color changes between the real and magical worlds, but the art is a tad too cutesy a style for me.

Overall, I liked this quick read, and so appreciated the diversity on the page, but there was not enough character or story development for this adult reader to give it a higher rating.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was beautiful drawn and the coloring was brilliant. I also loved how it didn't shy away from using Indian terms and short hand, not taking the time to explain or simplify it for white audiences. As well as being a fascinating, feminist story about women's choice, I learned a lot and I cannot wait to shove this at everyone.

[Stefanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

An enchanting graphic novel with so many important life lessons for middle schoolers! Loved the scenes in color where Priyanka is magically transported to India when she wraps the pashmina around herself. A beautiful story of empowerment and choosing your own destiny.

[Nimrat · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was WAY too short. I completed it in about 25 minutes.

All the "Indian terms" used were correct! Loved that part of it. But the pacing was way too fast. I really wanted to see more of the story and the characters but I couldn't get that. Nonetheless, it was a great read.

[Jeimy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Priyanka discovers a magical Pashmina that allows her to see things others can't. When a letter from her aunt arrives from India, she is convinced that is where her destiny lies. This book takes us along as Priyanka is forced both to mature and to come to terms with her culture and heritage. A must for middle-school students who enjoy graphic novels.

[Reading_ Tamishly · Rating 3 out of 5]

The illustration is okay. The story has not much to tell. The characters are sweet yet so many questions are left unanswered.
More focus was given to the illustration rather than the proper story or the plot.
The story tried to say some things about the lives in India and the US but it failed to do so.
*A good one time read for kids.

[Rod Brown · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book did nothing for me. I did not care about the bratty teen protagonist, and I would much rather have seen either the mother's or aunt's story brought to the center of the book. I intensely dislike dream sequences, and most of the color fantasy sequences smacked of useless dream sequences to me. The tiny little glossary in the back barely scratched the surface of the questions I had about the terminology, concepts and cultural points of view presented in the book. Perhaps I didn't fully understand what I was reading or I was not the intended audience. Regardless, I made no connection with the material.

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh. Got this for a cousin who is a reluctant reader because this is in comic book form, which she enjoys. The artwork was good, but the story didn't really resonate with me. I was pissed with the mom not telling her daughter sooner about the father. Like, it wasn't a huge deal, but she was making it out like it was some tragic secret. It could have been used as a good learning experience for the daughter, instead of hidden.

I hope my cousin likes it. We'll see. Three, I wasn't moved, but it's me, not the book, stars.

[Emma · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cute, but the characters lacked depth and a lot of "but what about ...?" questions were unanswered. Not the most sophisticated graphic novel.

[Christy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had the chance to see Nidhi speak at SDCC and have been anxiously awaiting Pashmina's release since! I absolutely loved this sweet story and recommend it to anyone looking to learn a little more about Indian culture.

Pashmina is the story of Priyanka, an Indian-American girl who is like most teens - troubling to communicate with her mother and trying to figure out who she is. She's curious about India and her father. Whenever she asks about them, her mom changes the subject. Nidhi uses facial expressions from panel to panel to show that there's more going on than Pri and the reader know.

Before we can blink, Pri finds herself transported to the colorful land of India, brought on by a mysterious pashmina that was tucked away. The use of color versus the monotone of the contemporary world will transport readers into this universe. The pashmina opens up not only a world but a door to the answers she has been seeking.

I enjoyed the flow and length of Pashmina. I loved the glossary of terms at the end and also Nidhi's use of Indian terms within the text. It's short and sweet and to the point, making it an enjoyable read for all ages!

[Raina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pro-voiced Review:
Priyanka feels out of place. She lives with her mother in the United States, and has never been to India, where her mother lived before Priya’s birth. Her uncle has been an important figure in her life, but when he announces that he and his wife are about to have a baby, Priya is forced to confront her heritage and insecurities in a new way. Then, she discovers a pashmina which seems to have magical properties. Chanani’s debut graphic novel is accessibly illustrated in muted tones during the realistic plotline and full color in the fantasy sequences. Recommended for middle grade and young adult collections serving elementary, middle and high school-aged youth.

// yep, it was great.

[سپیده سالاروند · Rating 3 out of 5]

هم نمره دادن بهش سخته و هم ازش نوشتن.‌ کتاب کمیک استریپه و در مورد دختر نوجوان هندی‌الاصلی که در آمریکا به دنیا اومده و بزرگ شده و حالا انگار دچار بحران هویته. از هند فقط سمبوسه و خوراکی‌ها رو می‌شناسه و حتا از پدرش چیزی نمی‌دونه.
تا یک جایی از داستان من حتا داشتم فکر می‌کردم کاش ترجمه‌ش کنیم اما از یه جایی به بعد احساس کردم زیادی در ستایش رویای آمریکاییه. فازِ آمریکا سرزمین آزادیه و هند سرزمین بدبختی توش پررنگ بود هر چند سعی می‌کرد یه جاهایی با جملاتی جلوی این فاز رو بگیره.

شاید دو و نیم نمره‌ی مناسب‌تری باشه

[S · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was absolutely lovely!!

• Pashmina tells the story of a girl called Priyanka who stays in the US with her mother. She has never been to India and has always been fascinated by its culture.
• Her mother left the home country just before Priyanka was born and whenever she asks why they never visit India, her mother dismisses her.
• But Priyanka is adamant about going to India and so she tries to convince her mother but no luck.
• In the midst of this, she finds a very beautiful pashmina and she begins to see the beauty of her home country.
• She unravels the mystery of how the pashmina came into the family and goes on an adventure.
• I found this novel recommended by @feminisminindia and it did not disappoint. The artwork is beautiful and the story as well has such innocence that it just leaves a smile on your face when you're reading and when you finish it.
• Priyanka is an amazing lead who is strong and goes after what she wants.
• Highly recommend it to everyone and if you have kids or know them, read it to them. They'll love it 🤗
#bookedreviewbysaiesha

[Ksenia (vaenn) · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Пашміна" - це типовий роман виховання, що оповідає про сучасну дитину із плинною ідентичністю. Прі - абсолютно звичайний американський підліток, але вона відчуває, що цього недостатньо. По-перше, вона все ж таки виділяється, по-друге, чого це мама позбавляє її частини культурного спадку! І взагалі - нічого й ніколи не розповідає! Ідентифікаційна криза заводить дівчину у глухий кут - вона робить негарно, але не впевнена, чи насправді це зробила. І з глибин мізераблів героїню витягує загадкова шаль-пашміна, яка відкриває для неї геть інакший світ.

Найцікавіше художнє рішення "Пашміни" - зміна колористики. Звичайне життя Прі Ніді Чанані малює в стриманій сіруватій гамі. А той світ, куди дівчину переносить чарівна шаль - буяє барвами та зустрічає привітними аборигенами.

Чарівні звірятка показують Прі фантастично прекрасну Індію, і дівчині вже несила терпіти. Вона вмовляє маму і летить навідати родичів у Калькутті. Чи треба казати, що реальність виявилася не настільки декоративною?

Історія, котра почалася з особистої кризи, швидко вичерпується. Пріянка дізнається про своє минуле, і це дозволяє дівчині примиритися з майбутнім. Привабливу умоглядну Індію заміщує реальна, а головними емансипаційними кроками для героїні стають примирення з матір'ю та добровільне розставання з випадковим подарунком долі. У чарівну пашміну авторка вкладає густо замішану ідею просування жіночої солідарності, але не встигає її розкрити - суто підліткова історія Прі перетягує ковдру на себе. У "Пашміні" взагалі багато спрощень та драматургічно передбачуваних рішень. Тут є дрібочка соціалки, трішки магічного реалізму, трохи більше сімейного психологізму, але всі вони допомагають розповісти доволі невибагливу історію, з якої могло вийти простеньке дитяче кіно. І навіть екзотизацією авторка не зловживає. У кінці навіть глосарій є!

Солідно розширену версію відгуку з картинками можна знайти - ага, у блозі.

[Enne · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

This was a beautiful graphic novel that talks about family and feeling connected to your culture and the different forms resistance can take. It's about women making their own path in life. It's also about a girl's relationship with her family and especially her mother. This graphic novel said a lot of really good things and I really enjoyed following the main character on her journey. I also really loved all the familial relationships that were explored in this story, particularly the relationship between the main character and her mother. I really loved the way magic was used in this story. I just wish this had been longer.