In the companion novel to the beloved and award-winning Amina’s Voice, Amina once again uses her voice to bridge the places, people, and communities she loves—this time across continents.
We had the pleasure of chatting with author Hena Khan about her new novel Amina’s Song, book recommendations, writing, and more!
Hi, Hena! Tell us a bit about yourself!
Hi! I’m a big book nerd, have lived in Maryland my entire life, and love writing books for kids that center Pakistani American Muslim characters like me—the stories I didn’t have when I was growing up.
After the chaos that was 2020, have you set any goals for this year? If so, how are they going so far?
I made the goal of NOT setting any extra goals for this year. Getting through all the everyday stresses of life feels like an accomplishment in itself. I’ve got a lot of writing deadlines this year, and so far, am on track with those which feels good. I’ve also started rowing on a machine for the first time, which actually feels really good too, once my muscles got over their initial confusion of being used after months of inactivity!
Quick lightning round! Tell us the first book you ever remember reading!
Probably Ramona Quimby, Age 8. I loved her and her everyday adventures so much!
When did you first discover your love for writing?
I started writing a little kid for fun, including epic poems, plays and a family newspaper. I wrote with a family friend sometimes, and that made it extra fun since we would sometimes act out what we wrote.
Your new novel, Amina’s Song, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Warm. Sensitive. Honest. Relatable. Inspiring.
What can readers expect?
Readers can expect to feel their hearts grow, along with Amina’s, as she makes room for more people and places in her life and grapples with how to share her new passions with the world. They will get a story filled with love, with the exploration of what “home” means, new and evolving friendships, and more music! They will get to know Pakistani culture through Amina’s eyes, and see how special it is. And they will have the chance to consider new perspectives.
Where did the inspiration for Amina’s Song come from?
The inspiration came from a visit I made to Pakistan when I was in middle school. Like Amina, I was very moved by the experience and grew very attached to the people and places I connected with while I was there. When I returned home to Maryland, I had a hard time expressing what I was feeling. I wanted to make sure others understood how important Pakistan and my family there was to me, and I wanted to maintain the closeness I felt. But unlike Amina, I didn’t have an outlet like music to help me!
Can you tell us about any challenges you faced while writing and how you overcome them?
I wanted to make sure that readers who knew Amina from Amina’s Voice felt like she was the same girl, but that she also continued to mature and evolve. I initially wondered how much to refer to past events in Amina’s Song, since I wanted it to stand alone but also feel like a continuation of her story. I knew readers had some questions that I wanted to answer. In the end, I’m satisfied with the way it turned out, but I’m eager to hear from readers about what they think!
What do you hope readers take away from Amina’s Song?
I hope they feel inspired by Amina to think a little more critically of the world, and to dig beneath the surface and the headlines they hear about people who may be different from them or who in other parts of the world. I hope they will think of ways that their own voices can help to bring people together and foster understanding. And I would be thrilled if they are inspired to be courageous and try to make a positive difference in the world.
What’s the best and the worst writing advice you have received?
The best was probably that the time you spend thinking about your characters, daydreaming and sorting out the story in your head counts as writing! I rely on that when I feel like I’m not being “productive” enough with my word counts and get anxious or down on myself. And I like to think my stories are better for the time I spend lounging around in bed or going on walks while thinking about them. Along the same lines, the worst advice for me is to “write every day.” I don’t write every day, and I don’t always want to. I need breaks and days where I read, watch a bunch of TV, turn my brain off, or catch up with friends. I need that to recharge. And if I thought that I absolutely HAD to write every day to be a writer, I might have quit by now!
What’s next for you?
I’m thrilled to have written The Secret of the Himalayas with Adam Gidwitz, which is book 6 of the Unicorn Rescue Society series and comes out in May. I’m also really excited to be working on an early middle grade series featuring Zara, the sister of Zayd in my Zayd Saleem Chasing the Dream books. It’s super fun to write and I hope readers will love it as much as I do! And please stay tuned for other exciting book announcements!
Lastly, do you have any book recommendations for our readers?
There are so many books that I love! I’m really excited about forthcoming middle grade books that I’ve been lucky to have read early, like Finding Junie Kim by Ellen Oh, Merci Suarez Can’t Dance by Meg Medina, and Unsettled by Reem Faruqi. And I’m dying to get my hands on others like The Shape of Thunder by Jasmine Warga and Misfits in Love by SK Ali! Plus, there are so many beautiful picture books out and coming out soon including A Sled for Gabo by Emma Otheguy and Bindu’s Bindis by Supriya Kelkar.
