Mohinder’s War is a thrilling World War 2 adventure story set in occupied France. It’s 1941 and Mohinder Singh’s plane crashes. Mohinder (Mo) is an Indian pilot attached to the Royal Air Force. He’s found, wounded and in hiding from the Nazis, by 13-year-old Joelle Breton. Her parents are members of the Maquis – the French Resistance – and they take him in. However, it’s a life fraught with danger and it’s not long before the family are betrayed. Mo and Joelle must now fight for survival. They flee from Joelle’s village and begin a dangerous journey across France together.

I really enjoyed Mohinder’s War. It’s a short book – only 155 pages – and this suits the fast pace of the story. There’s plenty of drama and action and it makes for an exciting and tense read.

The book’s themes of war and resistance are powerfully and sensitively explored. Particularly potent are the descriptions of loss: the loss of Joelle’s childhood, her family and home; and the loss of a country to an occupying force. I was especially struck by Bali Rai’s evocative descriptions of occupied France – the deserted, ransacked towns and villages, the fields with crops left to rot, and the “shroud of despondency and hopelessness” over everything (page 101).

Another important aspect of the book is the inclusion of Sikh traditions and beliefs. Mo’s noble character and behaviour is firmly shaped by his Sikh faith and moral code. He shares some crucial wisdom with Joelle during the course of the story. There’s an older French woman too who also imparts her valuable philosophy: “That’s the thing about life […]. We can never go back. The past shapes us. It makes us who we are. It cannot be undone. All we have is what we make of tomorrow.” (page 126).

Mohinder’s War is a powerful book that explores friendship, bravery, loyalty and betrayal and shows us what humankind is capable of – both good and bad.

It’s always difficult deciding how to introduce children to the harshness of history but I feel that Bali Rai strikes the balance perfectly.  He tells stories with just the right about of truth in them to let children learn with daring characters that walk straight out of the page and into our hearts.   The pairing of an Indian RAF pilot and a French teenager is glorious and yet heart-breaking at times. 

Whilst this book features the brutal attitudes of the Germans of the period, I liked that it focused highly on the resistance and how French nationals rebelled at great cost.  This is something is which not seen too much in children’s literature.  A lot of children may not be aware that there were Indian participants fighting for & with the British forces and through the heroic Mohinder, they will begin a journey of historical discovery that will hopefully stay with them for a long time. 

The jacket design is beautiful and I hope it will help in catching people’s attention on displays in bookshops.

I highly recommend Mohinder’s War. I could not put it down. There are so many gaps which I call hidden histories, stories we never hear about in school or from the media. This story is one of those. It shows courage, compassion, friendship and betrayal. The story is set in occupied France during World War II. 13-year old Joelle finds an Indian RAF pilot, Mohinder Singh, after his plane crashes. She knows exactly what to do - take him home and hide him from the Nazis. Her parents, members of the French Resistance, are planning how to get Mohinder back to Britain but everything takes a tragic turn when they are betrayed. I was in my 40s when I first learned that Sikh soldiers fought in the World Wars - over 2.5 million Indian soldiers (Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs) volunteered to fight in World War II. There are still so many World War stories waiting to be told, of Black Africans, of Caribbean men and women, of Polish Spitfire pilots...

A Middle-grade book that tells the story of an underrepresented perspective of the second world war. A book that explores a part of that time that British schools seem to miss. Not only introducing kids to France and India's role within the war but also gives great insight to Sikhism. A great fast-paced story for a younger audience.

I enjoyed this book.  It depicts Mohinder Singh, a Sikh and British pilot as a man with great wisdom and humanity.  Some of this comes from his religion and some from his life experiences.  Joelle the French girl shows a maturity beyond her years, but I suspect that war does 'age' one. 

There is adventure aplenty in the book.  It is written at pace and all seems so believable.  The descriptions of place and people are good and not laboured.  The ending was a little abrupt, but perhaps the reader needs to fill in the gaps.

‘We are all family’ he said, ‘Every man, woman and child on this Earth. I believe that all of creation is one whole. We are bound together, each of us, by invisible links, and all are equally important’

Mohinder’s War, written by Bali Rai, is a historical fiction children’s story set in France during World War II. We follow thirteen-year-old Joelle Breton, who one day comes across the wreckage of a plane and meets Indian-born RAF pilot Mohinder Singh, who is the pilot. Joelle’s parents are members of the French resistance and it’s up to them to keep him hidden from the Nazis. But how long will they be safe?

‘If the fires go out, we have let these animals win. And we will not let them win.”So, we must keep the fires burning’

One of my favourite genre’s of book is definitely historical fiction. This is a heartwarming story, exploring how the most unlikeliest of friendships can be formed in the bleakest of times. You are introduced to how every day life was affected for those occupied under the Nazi rule, being stripped of their everyday freedoms. Bali Rai’s writing is a perfect balance between simplicity and truth for children to grasp the realities of these events during WWII. Both the main characters, Joelle and Mohinder, are truly inspiring and show such bravery during a time where peril is found around every corner. I love the fact the the book also provides a basic introduction to Sikhism, explaining the basic principles for children to understand. In addition, the cover artwork of this book is stunningly illustrated.

‘The past shapes us. It makes us who we are. It cannot be undone. All we have is what we make of tomorrow’

It is always so important for each generation to continue to learn about the events of World War Two – in the words of Bali Rai ‘All we have is what we make of tomorrow’ – and this book would be a perfect introduction. Though, please be aware when giving this story to some children, as there mention of death throughout the story, including some violence.

‘Mohinder’s War’ is published on 11th June 2020 and is part of Bloomsbury Flashbacks, which offer dramatic stories set in key moments of history, for introducing children to historical topics.

I received a free review copy from the publisher in exchange for my honest unedited feedback via NetGalley

Bali Rai has a way of addressing difficult topics/issues in his writing but his books are so accessible, children definitely respond to his work.  This is another fantastic addition to a stellar catalogue of work.

I spotted a new @balirai title in #Netgalley & obviously had to read it asap. Published next month by @BloomsburyEd, Mohinder's War is a thrilling #WW2 story of an Indian RAF pilot who crashed in occupied France. It doesn't pull it's punches!#UKMG

I love a historical novel set in World War Two so when I saw that Bali Rai had written another (read my review of his excellent Now Or Never - A Dunkirk Story) I jumped at the chance of reading and reviewing it.

Mohinder's War follows the story of Joelle, a French/British girl living in France during the Nazi occupation. She, her family and their friends are a part of the resistance and when a downed RAF pilot needs hiding, he is taken into the home of the Bretons and concealed in their cellar.

The pilot is Mohinder Singh, a character based on a real life RAF pilot who flew in the Second World War. He and Joelle strike up a friendship - Joelle keeping him company and sharing her local knowledge, and Mohinder teaching her about his homeland and Sikh faith and opening her eyes to philosophies regarding life:

'We are all family,' he said. 'Every man, woman and child on this earth. I believe that all of creation is one whole. We are bound together, each of us, by invisible links, and all are equally important.'

During the course of the story, as result of key events (desparately trying to avoid spoilers here but there is treachery), their friendship develops into something much more resembling a father/daughter relationship - an interesting, rarely explored dynamic between two unrelated characters. This aspect of the story is executed particularly well with some genuinely lovely moments between Joelle and Mohinder, resulting in a very ultimate act of commitment and love (again, trying to avoid spoilers).



I would advise caution when choosing to give or read this book to children - it actually contains some quite starkly violent scenes, ones which in the context may not have been out of the ordinary, but which could be shocking to children living in a time and place of peace. Seeing as the action focuses not on warfare between soldiers, but civilian acts of resistance and episodes of violence against civilians, this less familiar territory should be carefully trodden. Having said that, with the right adult guide, the content of this book would be suitable for 11+ children who have some historical understanding of the time period.

That aside, this is a heartwarming tale of friendship, bravery and derring-do. Joelle and Mohinder use their wits to work together, defying all odds in their bid to escape France to the safety of Britain. With an exciting climax sure to ignite the imaginations of young readers, this is a fantastic adventure story which provides a much-needed window into a World War which has to greater or lesser extents been whitewashed: Bali Rai's latest book is a welcome addition to the bookshelf.

'Mohinder's War' will be available on 11/6/2020 and is part of Bloomsbury's Flashbacks series.