Writer embraces her multifaceted identity

Newbery Honor-winning author Veera Hiranandani of Hastings often looks to her family’s history to inspire her middle-grade novels. 

“I always go from very personal places, because I think that I am very conscious of how I came to be and why I'm here,” she told the Dispatch. 

For her second picture book, aimed at ages 4-8 and released on Jan. 28 by Random House Studio, Hiranandani decided to share her personal story of growing up with parents of different backgrounds. “Many Things at Once,” illustrated by Nadia Alam, follows the child of a Jewish mother and a South Asian father as she learns about her family’s history. The protagonist struggles with feeling as if she’s not enough of either religion or culture, but learns to be proud of her rich heritage and to embrace multiple identities.