Same Sun Here

by Silas House

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 immigrant girl living in New York City’s Chinatown, while River is a Kentucky coal miner’s son. As Meena’s family studies for citizenship exams and River's town faces devastating mountaintop removal, this unlikely pair become pen pals, sharing thoughts and, as their camaraderie deepens, discovering common ground in their disparate experiences. With honesty and humor, Meena and River bridge the miles between them, creating a friendship that inspires bravery and defeats cultural misconceptions. Narrated in two voices, each voice distinctly articulated by a separate gifted author, this chronicle of two lives powerfully conveys the great value of being and having a friend and the joys of opening our lives to others who live beneath the same sun.

Genres: Middle Grade, Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Young Adult, Friendship, Cultural, Childrens

288 pages, Hardcover

First published February 14, 2012

About the author

Silas House is the nationally bestselling author of six novels--Clay's Quilt, 2001; A Parchment of Leaves, 2003; The Coal Tattoo, 2005; Eli the Good, 2009; Same Sun Here (co-authored with Neela Vaswani) 2012; Southernmost (2018), as well as a book of creative nonfiction, Something's Rising, co-authored with Jason Howard, 2009; and three plays.

His work frequently appears in The Atlantic, The New York Times, and Salon. He is former commentator for NPR's "All Things Considered". His writing has appeared in recently in Time, Ecotone, Oxford American, Garden and Gun, and many other publications.

House serves on the fiction faculty at the Spalding School of Writing and as the National Endowment for the Humanities Chair at Berea College.

As a music writer House has worked with artists such as Kacey Musgraves, Jason Isbell, Lee Ann Womack, Kris Kristofferson, Lucinda Williams, The Judds, Jim James, and many others.

House is the recipient of three honorary doctorates and is the winner of the Nautilus Award, an EB White Award, the Storylines Prize from the New York Public Library/NAV Foundation, the Appalachian Book of the Year, and many other honors.

Reviews

[Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

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 otherwise and absolutely adoring them.

“Let’s say right now that we can tell each other our secrets and we won’t make fun of each other. Don’t take this the wrong way, but you sound weird, too. I am glad of it, because I can be my own true self with you.”

“Sometimes you write things in your letters that I thought nobody had ever thought before, except for me.
But then there it is in your letter.”

Stuffed full of pictures, poems and drawings (which unfortunately weren’t shown in the ARC but will be in the hardback copy I’ll undoubtedly buy), this book tells a simple story. It’s not a particularly original one but it’s a beautiful one all the same.
With Meena and River, Ms Vaswani and Mr House have created two of the most authentic children’s voices I have read. Their letters are full of their worries, their pain, their dreams but they are also full of rich humour that had made laughing and shattering my early nights.

I know I always rabbit on about how much better most middle grade books are at dealing with serious issues honestly than most YA books but I’m just going to rabbit on a little bit more. Because Same Sun Here was no exception.
The environment, tolerance, different cultures, family and politics (this book is set in 2008 around Obama’s inauguration) are but a few topics that are covered in great deal within the letters between Meena and River. There is such a sweet and true message hidden within these pages but there’s a difference between talking about an issue and clobbering you over the head with it.
Fortunately, both Vaswani and House are well aware of this.

This book is, in effect, a love letter to communication.
I don’t know whether I connected with this book because, like Meena and River, my friendship circle is spread across not only the UK, but also across the world. Because of things like e-mail and Skype and Facebook, I can connect with someone on the opposite side of the world and send out separate e-mails to someone in Australia, someone in America and someone in Kent in the time it takes me to find a biro that works.
Sure, e-mails make it possible to have a friendship that isn’t reliant on the Royal Mail, but there truly is nothing like getting a real letter is there?

“The reason I’m not on the e-mail list is because I thought it’d be cooler to write letters to somebody, since I can write e-mails to anybody.”

So true.
I love the act of writing a handwritten letter because you can’t delete bits or change your mind before you send it. Well, I mean, you can use Tippex and stuff (do people still use Tippex for anything as opposed to writing their crushes names on their pencil cases?!) but once it’s on the paper it’s out in the world.
Maybe it’s just me but I feel like there is something much more honest in hand-writing a letter.

This isn’t that much of a spoiler but if you don’t want to know anything about the plot just skip the next paragraph.

Towards the end of the book Meena and River decide to meet in New York and I genuinely felt sad because I thought that now they’ve met, they’d never send letters to each other again.
But I, ever the optimist, would like to believe that they did and they sent each other long, scrawled letters to each other with about how much fun they had when they met up.

I know I went a bit off topic up there, but this book has inspired to make the effort to write more letters to all my kindred spirits scattered across the globe.
On real writing paper.
And maybe written in fountain pen.


[Ha…. This was supposed to be a “quick” review. Whoops]

Recommended For.
People who want to read a book about contemporary issues. People who wished they had a pen pal when they were in school. People who wish they could look out of their window and see mountains. People who will never get tired of their grandma’s stories. People who like to scream at the top of their lungs at passing trains. People who believe that kindred spirits are telepathic. People who can believe that S.E Hinton is a girl and that she wrote a book because girls can do anything. People who wish Kentucky was a shape better suited to cutting it out of toast. People who will join me in my pledge to write more letters.

Some more quotes because I couldn’t narrow them down:

“Since reading this book, everyone I pass on the street seems full of stories and dreams and a secret sadness.” (On “A Tree Grows in Brooklyn” by the by)

“It seems like there are so many homesick people in the world. It seems like so many of us live far away from where we were born.”

“They were all surprised that we are best friends but we haven’t ever met. Ms. Beldsoe said that’s what happens when you find a ‘kindred spirit’.”

I received a copy of this book from the publishers via Netgalley.

[Cheri · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

’And then I thought to myself that it’s the same sun here as it is there, and that made me feel like you’re not so far away after all.’

Published in 2012, this is a story aimed at YA readers that tackles several relevant social issues that will speak to all ages. Set partially in rural Kentucky, where River lives, and Manhattan, where Meena lives, this explores not only immigration, nature, families, fathers whose work forces them to live apart from their families, and mothers who are left to make decisions for their family, as well as the marital dynamics of decision making. Throw in racial issues, Meena being a relatively new immigrant from India, and River, who is part Irish and part Cherokee, as well as the standard stresses of those pre-teen and teenage years.

Meena and River become friends over time as pen pals through a school project, sharing their thoughts, frustrations and dreams. River’s mother is an environmental activist, protesting the mountaintop removal, which has the potential for devastation for the local residents. River teaches her about life in rural Kentucky, and Meena shares her story of her life living with her grandmother in India before she joined her parents and older brother in NYC years later. But living in Manhattan has issues for their family, as well. Landlords who intentionally make living there more unappealing for those under rent control laws by shutting off water, or heat add to the stress that the parents feel, which is felt by all who live there. Add the open hostility toward those who are or appear to be immigrants in both locations, and they have many stories to share. There is also the shared love of reading.

’I like that library books have secret lives. All those hands that have held them. All those eyes that have read them.’

This story is shared through the letters they send to one another over time, each revealing a little bit more as time goes by. The problems they are dealing with at home and at school, the things they love about their lives, and their frustrations, as well.

Beautifully co-written by Silas House and Neela Vaswani, this was filled with both lovely and heartbreaking moments, and was a story filled with love for all ages.

[Paul Hankins · Rating 5 out of 5]

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 River, a teen from Kentucky, and Meena, a young Hindi girl living in New York City. In their exchanges we see a character arc come through for each with room to grow on both sides and on the inside of both.

Aside from the letters written back and forth, River and Meena provide younger readers with information about Kentucky and New York City that would ordinarily be handled in the narrative. It's masterful here, though, with each character playing "Did you know?" with the other. An interesting inclusion that might prompt discussion in MG/YA classrooms is a section from the U. S. Citizenship Test that Meena's parents are trying to pass as part of the story.

Relationships between River and his grandmother and Meena and her older neighbor play out beautifully in the letters back and forth.

River gets a chance to talk about mining and mountain top removal. Students interested in learning more about mountain top removal might like to read the narratives collected by Silas House and Jason Howard called SOMETHING'S RISING, a powerful collection that includes Appalachian voices talking about how this system affects their everyday lives.

As a teacher consultant with The National Writing Project, I have seen many fine, fine demonstration lessons using Mark Teague's DEAR MRS. LARUE as an anchor text/read-aloud into a demonstration of letter writing as a format or means of correspondence. Many times, I have seen MG/Secondary participants in the room wondering what using this book (very nice and funny) would look like with older students. What Silas House's newest title offers is a Writer's Workshop ready text for the Middle Grade and Secondary teacher to use.

Further, introducing and sharing a book like SAME SUN HERE might bring up a sense of advocacy/agency for some young readers making this title a rigorous book for its potential affective properties.

As a "wheelhouse title," SAME SUN here provides multiple opportunities to extend invitations to readers to consider related topics making this Candlewick title a nice match for the Common Core Standards being implemented by many states:

Hindi Culture
Appalachian Culture
Mountain Top Removal
Immigration Law and U. S. Citizenship
Disasters Related to Mining

and many, many more.

I could see this title being stretched out over the course of a year with younger readers and writers hearing the story in installments which might allow for their own correspondence back and forth with River and Meena through a writing strategy called thought capture.

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every once in a great while I find cause to pick up a book I know little to nothing about and am fortunate enough to be utterly charmed. Same Sun Here was one of two Audie nominees for Middle Graders that I was unfamiliar with, and yet I am happy to see it in such good company. For some inexplicable reason, I have shied away from doing epistolary novels via audio. After listening to the absolute joy that was Same Sun Here, I’m putting all epistolary reads in my TBR into my TBLT (to-be-listened-to) pile, because clearly two formats could not be more perfectly married. Of course a book featuring letters sent back and forth between two young people would be best told audibly by two narrators.

Yes, I am assuming this book has some physical formatting one misses when listening to it rather than reading the physical copy–there is poetry, and I am also assuming the written letters are “written” and the typed letters are “typed”, particularly since the matter of writing is actually discussed. But, what you loose in visual formatting you gain in audible; each of the authors is able to perfectly embody the characters they narrate, Neela Vaswani capturing young Meena with her Indian-born English, and Silas House bringing River to life, a boy from the mountains of Kentucky. The way each talks is such an important facet of the story and overcoming assumptions that being able to hear how these characters talk affects the story more deeply than seeing their writing ever could.

And thus, we must talk about the story. Same Sun Here captures the unique lives of two young people who have, through school programs, become pen-palls. Old-school letter writing pen-pals in a day and age when e-mail would be the go-to route for almost every child. Their choice to sit down and write (or type) letters that are sent through the post immediately clues us into the reality that Meena and River are not your average American tweens. The two form a bond of friendship in which they declare they are their “own true selves”, sharing their fears, hopes, and even the ugly and presumptive thoughts we all sometimes have.

Meena’s story captures the immigrant experience, as a young girl whose parents left her with her grandmother in the mountains of India while they migrated with her brother to the United States. They has assumed they’d be leaving her for only a short while, but it turned into six years before they were able to bring her to join them in NYC. Consequently, there is a bit of a riff in her family, who are studying to become American while living illegally in a rent-controlled apartment in Chinatown. River is the son of a coal miner, and he and Meena bond over the fact that both their fathers live away from their families in order to provide for their families–Meena’s father working at a catering hall in New Jersey, River’s father working in the Gulf. River is concerned with mining practices in his area and the affects they have on the environment, and is feeling stifled in an area where traits like racism and close-mindedness are prevalent.

Same Sun Here is one of those rare books that manages to carry meaningful messages without the frying pan affect. While at times it skirted the edge of being too political for me, I felt the authors did an excellent job of focusing on issues that transcend one’s particular politics–not judging someone because of their accent, appearance, religion, sexual preference, etc., the value of family and friends, respecting one’s parents, learning to stand on one’s own and fight for what you believe in. The political beliefs of the authors are obvious, but they do attempt to show that there are various sides to the issues raised (most predominantly coal mining, but also issues like immigration), which I appreciate. Quite frankly, Same Sun Here is a story that could influence the lives of countless readers for the better. It promotes the notion of opening your heart and mind to those who live differently from yourself, reminding us that we are all, when you get to the heart of it, just people.

Original review posted at Bunbury in the Stacks.

[Abigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

Co-authors Silas House and Neela Vaswani join forces in this epistolary middle-grade novel, exploring, through their characters' correspondence with one another, the differences and commonalities in the lives of a Kentucky coal-miner's son and the daughter of recent Indian immigrants, studying to become citizens in New York City. Although River Dean Justice and Meena Joshi come from different places, and lead very different lives, they also share many of the same experiences, from coping with the absence of a father, whose work has taken him far away, to feeling just a little bit out-of-step with those around them. When tragedy strikes in both of their lives, their letters to one another provide an avenue for expression, and their strong friendship an important source of strength.

Chosen as our September selection over in The Children's Fiction Book-Club to which I belong, Same Sun Here touches upon many important themes, from family relationships and the stresses put upon those relationships by separation, to environmental stewardship and the terrible consequences when people ignore their responsibility of care, for both earth and people. Unlike some readers, I really appreciated the fact that politics, whether one defines that in terms of elections or of personal activism, was featured so prominently here. Children, after all, live in the same political world as the rest of us, and are affected by many of the same economic and social factors as adults, so it was good to see some recent issues - the 2008 presidential election, mountain top removal coal-mining in Appalachia, rent-control and abusive landlords in New York City - being depicted in a book intended for them. I also really appreciated the format of the book itself, and think that having two different authors pen the two protagonists' letters was an inspired choice, leading to believably different voices for River and Meena.

All in all, this was a strong book, one with engaging characters and an always interesting, often poignant story. I came away with a desire to read more by both authors.

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

first 100 pages: 3
last 200 pages: 4

epistolary novel
The letters seem too sophisticated to be written by 12-year-old kids, but once I focused on the story instead of the style, I enjoyed the book. Tackles quite a few heavy topics.

p 103: He's just stupid. Ignorant people don't know any better, but stupid people WANT to be stupid.

quite a few references to specific books and songs

[Alex Baugh · Rating 4 out of 5]

From the publisher:
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 girl living in New York City's Chinatown, while River is a Kentucky coal miner's son. As Meena's family studies for citizenship exams and River's town faces devastating mountaintop removal, this unlikely pair become pen pals, sharing thoughts and, as their camaraderie deepens, discovering common ground in their disparate experiences.

With honesty and humor, Meena and River bridge the miles between them, creating a friendship that inspires bravery and defeats cultural misconceptions. Narrated in two voices, each voice distinctly articulated by a separate gifted author, this chronicle of two lives powerfully conveys the great value of being and having a friend and the joys of opening our lives to others who live beneath the same sun.

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.

My Thoughts:
In a world that has become suspicious of those who don't look like ourselves, Same Sun Here is a refreshing look at what can be - that as we get to know other, who were are inside takes precedence over what we look like. What an important lesson Meena and River teach us.

Written in epistolary form, the novel enables the to experience these two different characters simultaneously, as they get to know and trust each other. Here are two kids, both of whom do not have personal computers at their disposal, which alone tells something of their economic circumstances, and they must rely on good old fashion letter writing, at least most of the time. They do resort to email exchanged from a school and public library computer as the story progresses and their lives head in crisis mode.

Right from the start, pen-pals Meena and River agree to be their own true self with each other in their letters. As they write back and forth, and get to know each other better, this agreement sometimes leads to arguments, soul-bearing and the start of a deepening friendship. And eventually, Meena and River are comfortable enough with each other to reveal their inner most thoughts, hopes, dreams and fears in their letters, thing that they may never have said face to face to anyone else.

The letter writing format allows the kids to cover a diverse number of topics, including economic hardship, political decisions, and bigotry and to talk about the direct impact they have on the lives of Meena and River's families. And it allows for an exploration of cultural differences in a very frank, but sensitive way. As each child reveals more and more about their life, they are able to give each other the emotional support they both need so badly during what turns out to be such a transitional year for both of them.

Same Sun Here is a well-written novel. The language is clear and age appropriate, the characters well-developed and believable. Unfamiliar terms that are specific to their different lives are defined in the course of the letters, so the reader never has to wonder what, for instance, mountaintop removal is and why it puts people out of work.

I felt a special connection to and understanding of this book thanks to authors Silas House and Neela Vaswani. On the one hand, like Meena, I grew up in NYC and recognize some of the things she faced in the novel, like rent control and greedy landlords. On the other hand, Silas House is an associate professor at Berea College. My Baugh family comes from Berea and more than one of them graduated from Beara College. So, aside that it is such a well done story, how could I not love this book?

I am sincerely hoping there will be a sequel to Same Sun Here. I would really like to find out what happens to Meena and River next.

This book is recommended for reader age 10+
This book was borrowed from the library.

[Rll52014_barb_zachwieja · Rating 4 out of 5]

Same Sun Here is an enjoyable book to read. I felt like I was part of a long distance conversation between two middle schoolers. The two children are pen pals--one a girl named Meena, the other a boy named River. Meena is originally from India, but is living in a rent-controlled apartment in New York. River is a boy who lives in Kentucky in the Appalachian Mountains by mining country. The children write back and forth--each chapter is a new letter from one of them. They occasionally email one another or write a postcard or two, but most of the correspondence is old-fashioned snail mail--a lost form of art, I think. It's interesting to get the students' perspectives on their lives in America. Many things parallel one another, but many things are completely different. One thing they have in common is that both of their fathers have to work at jobs that are far away from the family homes. They only see their dads on occasional visits. Meena and River agree to always tell one another the truth and to keep one another's secrets. It's very endearing that they call one another "best friend," even though they've never met face-to-face. Same Sun Here is an authentic piece. The part written from River's perspective was written by Silas House who is a native of Kentucky, and the part written from Meen'as perspective was written by Neela Vaswani, who is of Indian heritage, but currently lives in New York City. The wonderful details of the children's lives is genuine because the authors share the characters' backgrounds and experiences. These two authors worked well together to make a book that causes the reader to reflect on issues of race, ethnicity, and even preserving our environment. Great read!
--Barb Zachwieja

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

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 home to visit when he can. River's grandma and River are very concerned about the mountaintop removal, a type of mining, that is happening near their home and that is polluting their river. Both Meena and River have challenges and both have courage. They become best friends and share their fears, frustrations, and triumphs with each other through their letters.

I found this book really enjoyable to read and valuable. I really appreciated it being told through letters from the perspective of both a boy and girl. I appreciated that they learn not to judge others as they get to know each other...they come to see that despite their different backgrounds, they have a lot in common. I like how brave River was when he and his family fought to stop the mountaintop removal...I loved his peaceful confrontation with the governor. There is a definite environmental message in the book, but it wasn't too didactic. I liked that Meena included some of the questions that her family had to answer to become citizens and she talked a little about the difficulties they experienced as an immigrant.

Really liked this book.

[Mary Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pen-pals River and Meena reveal their "own true selves" to each other through the letters they write, their friendship slowly develops as they share their hopes and frustrations, discovering how much they are alike despite their differences. Meena has just moved to New York City from India, while River has lived all his life in a small coal-mining town in Kentucky. They both have been raised by their grandmothers for much of their lives, and they both love the mountains-- River loves the Appalachian Mountains, and Meena misses the mountains in Mussoorie, India. I especially appreciate the way that they encourage each other, as River becomes an environmental activist protesting coal mining in his community, and Meena joins her school's theater program.

Their honesty and sincerity especially comes through in the audiobook, as you can hear River and Meena's emotions and accents. Silas House and Neela Vaswani actually became pen-pals as they wrote this book, writing letters and mailing them back and forth to each other. Although River and Meena are fictional characters, they are closely tied to the authors. The fact that the authors narrate the audiobook makes it even more powerful.

[༺Kiki༻ · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you liked this book, you might also enjoy:

✱ Home of the Brave
✱ Cartwheeling in Thunderstorms
✱ What the Moon Said
✱ Inside Out & Back Again
✱ Little Bee

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's hard to imagine kids being pen pals these days but they both seem to enjoy exchanging lengthy letters with one another. This story grew on me. The main characters are interesting and the voices are unique. The people in the girl's life are more vividly realized. There's lots in this story to discuss. A good book for class or small group reading.

[The Reading Countess · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully written epistolary book told spot-on in two voices. Two kids with seemingly nothing in common discover throughout the course of a year that their sun is the same.

Reviews place this book in kids' hands beginning in fourth grade, but I'm not sure. The shaving, the bit about a boy vs. girl kissing, and a handful of colorful words are making me think otherwise.

I'm searching for a handful of books that might lend themselves to rich discussion in lit. circles.

As an aside, while I love how authors put book titles in their own books, if it happens so much it begins to feel too purposeful.

Lastly, can I just say how much I adore Silas House's writing? Eli the Good---go read it. ❤

"When I returned the book to the library, I thought about how maybe someone else will cry over it, too. I like that library books have secret lives. All those hands that have held them. All those eyes that have read them."