I was fortunate that I didn’t have to deal with death when I was a child. Yet, I was terrified of people dying. My father remembers a day when I stood on the terrace, watching for my mother who was to return from work. My fear – when I was about ten years old – was What if she died?
Where do these fears come from? I have no idea.
Are we equipped to deal with them? Not really.
Books like When the World Went Dark are a step in a direction that I believe can help. Yes, it’s a book to give to children who are trying to cope with grief and loss. But equally, it is for children who are not. Only if they are prepared – in whatever way – can they come to terms with what loss is.
When the World Went Dark is a timely book, set in the lockdown, a period of gloom for children and adults. Children cannot go out to play; everyone is afraid of setting a toe outside the house. When Swara learns that her beloved Pitter Paati is ill, she makes a Get Well Soon card for her and even a mask to keep her safe. But she soon learns that Pitter Paati has passed away. Incredulity, anger, a sense of betrayal, the conviction that her family is keeping secrets from her – how can an almost-nine-year-old deal with all these emotions?
All around her, it feels like Pitter Paati is giving her hints that she is still around. It’s the kind of mystery Pitter Paati and Swara love. If only Swara can find all the clues, she will find her Pitter Paati! Won’t she?
When the World Went Dark is a lovely book. Just like Flyaway Boy, it’s a book that feels truly told from the perspective of a child, not an adult pretending to be a child. Swara is a proper almost-nine-year-old – silly, innocent and earnest. She is not crippled by self doubt; rather, she is convinced that the others are all fools. Through this quirky, moving story, we see how Swara grows, coping in her own way with what a difficult time of life throws at her.
| Title | When the World Went Dark |
| Author | Jane de Suza |
| Tags | Early Middle Grade, Death, Lockdown |
| Rating (out of 5) | 5 |
| Age-group | 9+ |
What was the actual reason for death of Pital Pati in the story?
Pitter Pati died of Covid during the pandemic, but Swara found it hard to accept that.