Book Review: House of Glass Hearts

At the end of June I read House of Glass Hearts by Leila Siddiqui.

House of Glass Hearts is a magical realism book that goes back and forth in time. Maera, is Pakistani American teenager. When she was a young girl and visiting Pakistan, her brother went missing. They were at their family home and there was a mysterious greenhouse in the backyard that would glow. The kids were never allowed in the backyard, but her older brother snuck out one night to take a look and was never seen again.

10 years later, Maera’s grandfather has passed away and the greenhouse mysteriously appears in her backyard. Not only that, but her grandfather’s diary appears in her room too.

Maera’s grandfather’s diary tells the story of his childhood and teenage years living in India during World War II. He writes about his family and his quest to find his father who was fighting in the war and then the Partition of India and Pakistan. Understanding her grandfather’s past is crucial to understanding the mysterious greenhouse and her brother’s disappearance. Together with her cousin who is visiting from Pakistan, her best friend, and her neighbor/her brother’s best friend, they read the diary and work together to go into the greenhouse to possibly save her brother.

I liked the novel, but to be honest magical realism is not really a genre I love. You’d think I might be more into it considering I love fantasy, but there’s just something about magical realism I can’t really get into. I really liked Maera and learning about the historical parts through her grandfather’s story. However, the ending was a bit unsatisfying for me personally. But, if you enjoy magical realism and historical fiction particularly about the Partition of India and Pakistan you should check out House of Glass Hearts.