Nyla's father died when she was four and she lives with her mum and her paternal grandma who 'travels in time' (the phrase Nyla uses when Grandma forgets). When her grandma believes she has seen her son, she enlists Nyla's help to find him but makes her promise to keep it a secret. And so Nyla begins to investigate.
I have to say that I was incredibly intrigued by this book when it arrived as I've never read a book told entirely in poetry format before and I was slightly spectacle about how I would find it. Spoiler alert: I needn't have been. The characterisation is great and I found I got to know Nyla and her grandma quickly. She is clearly a strong young lady and, despite only being twelve, she helps to care for her grandma who has dementia. However, underneath, there is vulnerability having lost her dad so young and, as the book progresses, it becomes apparent that she also struggles to know where she fits in as a mixed-race child (I loved the way Miss Haldi helps with this). For Nyla, this book is a journey in so many ways: finding herself, discovering her past and finding the true meaning of love.
Dementia is explored sensitively within the book and will be useful for readers who have grandparents going through this. My great-grandma had dementia when I was young and I remember the feeling of not knowing how she would be (listening to the stories of her past were wonderful though). The other thing I loved about this was Nyla's love of the library. Again, as a child, I spent many an hour in my local library and lost in books. The book took me right back.
The Stories Grandma Forgot (and How I Found Them) is published on the 25th May and is a glorious read.
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