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My Soul, A Shining Tree

by Jamila Gavin

Interest age: 9 to 13
Reading age: 9+

Published by Farshore, 2025

  • Historical
  • Diversity and inclusion

About this book

In 1914, three young people experience the start of World War I in very different ways. 

12-year-old Lotte is a Belgian farm girl whose village is invaded. 15-year-old Ernst Hoffmeyer is a German soldier who lied about his age to join the cavalry, like his father. And Khudadad Khan is an Indian gunner who’s travelled to Europe to fight in the British army. 

Amidst the chaos, the noise, and the terror of battle, their paths cross – and their lives are changed forever. 

Jamila Gavin is an immeasurably talented writer, and this slim volume contains far more than many longer novels. Based on the true story of Khudadad Khan, who won the Victoria Cross for bravery, and told in his voice and the voices of the two other characters, this book offers a fresh perspective on the experience of World War I. 

There is much to discuss here – courage, morality, humanity, and colonialism are just some of the themes. The title is taken from a Siegfried Sassoon poem and, like his poetry, this story is clear-eyed about the realities of war. 

About the author

Jamila Gavin was born in Mussoorie, India, to an Indian father and an English mother. The family settled in England where Jamila completed her schooling, studied music, worked for the BBC and became a mother of two. She began writing to reflect the multicultural world in which she and her children lived.

Her first book, The Magic Orange Tree was published in 1979. Other publications include: Grandpa Chatterji (shortlisted for the Smarties Award and dramatised for Channel 4 schools TV); and The Wheel of Surya (1992 Guardian Children’s Fiction Award runner-up). Her novel for young adults, Coram Boy, was published to critical acclaim in 2000 and won the Children’s Whitbread Award. She has also published a collection of brand new fairy tales, Blackberry Blue. Jamila lives in Gloucestershire.

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