If I Tell You the Truth by Jasmin Kaur

Abstract

Reviewed by: If I Tell You the Truth by Jasmin Kaur Deborah Stevenson, Editor Kaur, Jasmin If I Tell You the Truth; written and illus. by Jasmin Kaur. HarperCollins, 2021 [464p] Trade ed. ISBN 9780062912640 $17.99 E-book ed. ISBN 9780062912664 $8.99 Reviewed from digital galleys Ad Gr. 9-12 In 2001, eighteen-year-old Kiran Kaur leaves India to study in Canada, knowing she's pregnant by her rapist; her family members in both countries desert her, but she's helped by new Canadian friends who become her found family and help her raise Sahaara. Years go by and then in 2019, Sahaara is an aspiring art student, looking forward to turning eighteen and being able to sponsor her undocumented mother for legal residence in the country. That plan suddenly becomes urgent when Canadian immigration takes Kiran into custody; as she prepares her case for staying, she shares with Sahaara the truth about her conception and the fact that Sahaara's biological father is currently a high-flying political candidate. When Kiran shares her story on television, it goes internationally viral and gets picked up by India's #metoo movement, and Kiran and Sahaara travel to India for Kiran to be honored—if she and Sahaara can avoid their powerful enemy. The narration, a mix of first-person prose and free verse that alternates between Kiran and Sahaara over the years, speaks feelingly of Kiran's desperation and Sahaara's rage and offers a lacerating exploration of the way Kiran's undocumented status limits her recourse on many fronts. The book also addresses the intergenerational effects of trauma and the international interconnectedness of issues of sexual violence. Unfortunately, discourse on those issues sometimes buries the human story; events and dialogue seem contrived for maximum messaging, leaving main characters flat, while secondary characters have little resonance beyond their role in supporting the Kaurs' story. It's still a useful look at undocumented immigration that goes beyond narratives focused on the U.S. southern border, and the global discussion of violence against women may fire up some young activists. An author's note gives a few more details about references in the text. Occasional moody line drawings add a visual dimension. Copyright © 2020 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois