Following its protagonist’s joyous journey to an empowering fresh start, Nadine Aisha Jassat’s The Hidden Story of Estie Noor is a beautifully-written, mystery-packed novel-in-verse. Interlacing a remarkable breadth of themes with nimble-fingered skill — from feeling unseen and unheard, to embracing mixed-heritage identity — it’s a rather special story.
“It’s not like they say it is,” twelve-year-old Estie implores when she’s expelled from school. But, while Estie just wanted her mother “to hear my voice/the story I was trying to tell”, Mum “couldn’t see me/through the words of everyone else”. Feeling like her story has been “burrowed down/so far inside that now/I don’t know/if I can reach it” Estie is sent to stay with her Aunt Ru in Scotland.
On arrival, Estie shuts herself down, but Aunt Ru’s understanding, and Estie’s friendship with “Super Sleuth” Idris bring her out of her shell, as does her discovery of a paper castle containing a secret message from a stranger who’s also desperate to share the truth of their story. A message that sees Estie and Idris embark on a town-wide treasure hunt to unlock the truth — Operation Story Secret.
Alongside the page-turning mystery of a secret castle crime and a trail of art clues, the relationship that blossoms between Estie and glorious Aunt Ru is an absolute joy. “It’s never too late to change your story”, Ru sagely remarks, which gets to the heart of a heart- warming story that sees Estie do exactly that.
No one wanted to hear Estie's side of the story. Now she's on a mission to make sure the truth is heard . . . A page-turning mystery novel in verse about identity, friendship and learning to use your voice, with accessible text and beautiful illustrations throughout.
When twelve-year-old Estie is expelled from school, she's sent to stay with her aunt in Scotland over the summer. Even though nobody, not even her mum, asked to hear her side of the story.
Estie's determined to keep her barriers up and stick to herself until the holidays are over. But when she comes across an intricately folded paper castle with a secret message written inside - a message from someone desperate to tell their own unbelieved story - a chord is struck, and Estie can't help but follow the clues to the next piece of artwork. Who are these messages from? And what will their secret reveal about the town?
In helping to uncover the anonymous artist's truth, Estie just might find the words to tell her own.
'It was near on impossible to stop reading...I truly hope for more from Nadine. She writes with a truth about heritage, family and having a voice. I love her style, characters and use of language. If you haven't yet discovered the talents of Nadine, then I urge you to visit your local library or bookstore.' - My Shelves Are Full blog
Praise for The Stories That Grandma Forgot (And How I Found Them):
'A beautiful read about love, family, identity and worth.' - Hannah Gold, author of The Last Bear
'A tender story about the meaning of life and love and loss.' - Katya Balen, Carnegie-winning author of October, October
'One of those books that truly makes the world a better place.' - Sophie Anderson, author of the House with Chicken Legs
Author
About Nadine Aisha Jassat
Nadine Aisha Jassat is an award-winning writer, and author of poetry collection Let Me Tell You This, shortlisted for the Edwin Morgan Poetry Award and a Herald Scottish Culture Award for Outstanding Literature. She has been published widely, including in It's Not About The Burqa (shortlisted for the Foyles Non-Fiction Book of the Year), and has taught and performed internationally and across the UK.
Nadine delivers creative practice work filled with heart, which addresses social justice, builds community, and supports participants to connect to and grow their voices. She often works with schools and youth groups, as well as arts and equality organisations, and has worked with libraries in the UK and around the world. She is a regular borrower in hers.
Nadine lives in Edinburgh, and grew up in the North of England with a Yorkshire mum and a Zimbabwean dad. She is of mixed heritage; a heritage which can only be told in stories.
