Indian Mutiny: Hanuman Singh, India, 1857-1858

My Story: Boys

by Pratima Mitchell

We watched General Rose's army moving towards us from the ramparts of the Fort. A sickle moon hung in the sky like a curved blade and the dull red granite of the Fort breathed out the day's heat.I marvelled at the neatness of the enemy's formation, as it progressed steadily towards us in the blue haze. They stopped about a quarter of a mile short of the city and struck camp. Not one of us slept that night, knowing that the battle was about to begin. At dawn we saw the bonfires sparking, throwing up billows of smoketo disguise movement, and our soldiers started to fire...

Genres: Historical Fiction, Middle Grade, Fiction, Diary

160 pages, Paperback

First published December 13, 2002

About the author

Pratima Mitchell was born in India and studied in Delhi, London and the United States. She comes from a family of authors and made her debut as an author at the age of eleven. She has worked as a journalist, editor, waitress and teacher. Nowadays she lives in Oxford (UK).

Reviews

[Meghan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book assumes that you are familiar with Indian geography and vocabulary, so there is a lot of guessing what’s going on for a while. Overall, an interesting account of a pivotal moment in Indian history.

[Molly]

This entire series is a wonderful way to learn history or teach it to adolescents. I find today's generations seem to recall more when they learn through other people (pop songs, celebrity gossip, etc.), so what better way to teach history than through someone else's perspective? Yes, "authentic" diaries would be "better", but would the language really hold the modern student's attention? Did the diary writer know what WOULD be important in the context of history? Probably not.

[Renae · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another historical topic I knew nothing about. Interesting, but somehow not incredibly gripping--I think it was the reserved narrator's voice...