By Bali Rai (author)
"This vital courage-packed story unpacks colonial cruelty and resistance through a boy’s quest to find his captured father in British-occupied India."
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August 2025 Book of the Month
Written in a lucid style that’s both inclusively direct and radiant with emotional resonance, Bali Rai’s Escape from Amritsar is set during the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre of 1919. As Rai explains in his Historical Note, this was “officially the worst specific atrocity committed by British troops against innocent civilians during the time of Empire”.
Such is the situation the novel’s protagonist, Arjan, finds himself in: “I have never understood why they rule us. Surely Indians should rule India? It makes no sense — like a fox taking charge over chickens”.
As a result of rising calls for independence, tensions mount between coloniser troops and the local community, and Arjan’s father is captured, wrongly accused of being a rioter. And so Arjan sets off on a dangerous journey to find him. Early on in his search, Arjan encounters a guardian angel of sorts, who gives him confidence and wise counsel: “Only those who try can ever succeed. Have a go”.
After heeding the woman’s words, Arjan meets and joins forces with a girl who’s been enslaved by bandits. As their perilous race-against-time rises to a heart-pounding climax, readers of eleven upwards will be gripped and roused by the bravery of a young boy, while also being informed about a terribly brutal chapter in British history. On that subject, with British colonialism in India being a KS3 topic, Escape from Amritsar also comes highly recommended for the classroom context.
Amritsar, India, 1919. A city on the brink of violence, as tensions between the local people and the British colonial rulers explode.
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12-year-old Arjan Singh learns that his father has been falsely charged with serious crimes. But there has been a terrible massacre in the city, as British troops fired on unarmed Indians, and the city is under curfew. Anger and fear have left the population seething and danger lurks around every corner.
Arjan sets out on a perilous mission to save his father, in the face of armed troops, martial curfew, and vicious local bandits. Can he escape and get to his father before it's too late?
This is a moving story of a young boy's struggle to find and rescue his wrongly-arrested father. Full of action and suspense, it shines a light on the terror of the British occupation and the importance of community and hope - Rashmi Sirdeshpande
Bali Rai has written over forty novels about teenagers and children. Born in Leicester, his writing is inspired by his working-class, multicultural background.
He was born in Leicester where he grew up in a multicultural community dreaming of playing football for Liverpool FC, being Bob Marley or becoming a writer.
A leading voice in UK teen fiction, Bali is a passionate advocate of libraries, reading for pleasure and promoting literacy. He has nearly twenty years of experience in working with young people across the UK and further afield and is extremely popular with schools. He has been nominated for and won numerous awards since 2001.
Bali has worked closely with The Reading Agency, Booktrust, The National Literacy Trust, Empathy Lab UK and many other organisations, and was awarded an honorary doctorate by De Montfort University in 2014. He also featured on BBC1’s Rebel Writers show and is an ambassador/patron for several high-profile literacy and arts projects.
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Amritsar, India, 1919. A city on the brink of violence, as tensions between the local people and the British colonial rulers explode. 12-year-old Arjan Singh learns that his father has been falsely charged with serious crimes.
The LoveReading4Kids Editorial Team have read and reviewed Escape From Amritsar and determined it is suitable for children aged 11-12 years old
Escape From Amritsar features in the following genres: Featured Books for 11+ readers, Books of the Month, Recommendations, Adventure Stories, Historical Fiction, Children's and Young Adult Fiction, Children’s, Teenage and Educational
Paperback. £6.29, down from the £6.99 cover price. In Stock.
Escape From Amritsar was written by Bali Rai and published by Bloomsbury Education an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing (UK)
Escape From Amritsar has 108 pages
£6.29, reduced from £6.99. In Stock.
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