What a beautiful addition to the Songs of Freedom series! Reminiscent of Private Peaceful although for a younger audience, Postcard from the Lushai Brigade is the story of a pair of brothers. And just like Michael Morpurgo’s Private Peaceful, it is told from the point of view of a younger brother who idolises the elder, and the elder seems worthy of his adulation. Young Bawiha’s brother Kima is everything that is perfect–generous, caring and brave. He seems larger than life, someone whom everyone loves. Yet, Kima always has time for his younger brother, and together, the boys watch stars, play make-believe, and listen to Api’s enchanting stories.
But perhaps Api is right. Perhaps the sap–the white Britishers–are nothing but trouble. Maybe they need to go. Maybe their battles are not the battles of the people of India. But when Mrs McCall who lives in the big bungalow is nothing but kind, how can Bawiha believe that the sap do not have good intentions?
Sensitive and poignant, Postcard from the Lushai Brigade is full of a young boy’s confusing questions. If the Mizo people look nothing like the people in the photograph from Delhi, will Bawiha and his family really belong to India? Kima is now part of the Lushai Brigade, but are his battles really the same as those of the sap? Importantly, what does it mean to be the man of the house?
Full of questions that have no single answer, Postcard from the Lushai Brigade perfectly captures the innocence of youth and the idealism that is often associated with war. While the conclusion was predictable, at least for an adult reader, the predictability took nothing away from the impact of the story, a story of love, hope and kinship.
| Title | Postcard from the Lushai Brigade |
| Author | Hannah Lalhlanpuii |
| Tags | Historical Fiction, Middle Grade, Songs of Freedom |
| Rating (out of 5) | 4 |
| Age-group | 10+ |
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