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Chalkline
The moving story of a Kashmiri boy soldier, from a prize-winning Irish author.
It’s an ordinary morning at nine-year-old Rafiq’s school in rural Kashmir when the silence of dawn prayers is ripped apart by gunfire. Soldiers of the Kashmir Freedom Fighters have raided the village in search of new recruits – they scrawl a line in chalk across the schoolroom wall, and any boy whose height reaches the line will be taken to fight. Rafiq is tall for his age – the first boy to cross the chalkline into a life of brutality and terrorism. This is the story of Rafiq’s transformation from child to boy soldier, as he is indoctrinated into the cause of fanatical belief. But his family have not forgotten him; when he can no longer recognize himself, they remember the boy he was, and reach out a hand of redemption as he spirals towards a final act of atrocity.
It’s an ordinary morning at nine-year-old Rafiq’s school in rural Kashmir when the silence of dawn prayers is ripped apart by gunfire. Soldiers of the Kashmir Freedom Fighters have raided the village in search of new recruits – they scrawl a line in chalk across the schoolroom wall, and any boy whose height reaches the line will be taken to fight. Rafiq is tall for his age – the first boy to cross the chalkline into a life of brutality and terrorism. This is the story of Rafiq’s transformation from child to boy soldier, as he is indoctrinated into the cause of fanatical belief. But his family have not forgotten him; when he can no longer recognize himself, they remember the boy he was, and reach out a hand of redemption as he spirals towards a final act of atrocity.
231 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2009
About the author
Jane Mitchell
44 books10 followersJane Mitchell was born in England, but she moved to Ireland later on, where she studied in Trinity College, Dublin, and taught elementary school children for a while before working in the community with at-risk teenagers who had dropped out of formal education.
She has also worked with young adults with disabilities.
She has also worked with young adults with disabilities.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
July 8, 2018
Brilliant!
This book was enjoyed by EVERY student in my mixed-ability, co-ed, year 10 English class. (I'm in NZ. Our Y10 is US 9th grade)
A great book for getting young teenage boys to read (protagonist is 14 y.o Kashmiri boy who is kidnapped and brainwashed to be a "Freedom Fighter"/terrorist.) This book generated lots of meaningul discussion. It also helped my students (upper/middle-class, mostly white, generally very privileged) understand how some people's lives can be very different from theirs.
This book was enjoyed by EVERY student in my mixed-ability, co-ed, year 10 English class. (I'm in NZ. Our Y10 is US 9th grade)
A great book for getting young teenage boys to read (protagonist is 14 y.o Kashmiri boy who is kidnapped and brainwashed to be a "Freedom Fighter"/terrorist.) This book generated lots of meaningul discussion. It also helped my students (upper/middle-class, mostly white, generally very privileged) understand how some people's lives can be very different from theirs.
November 9, 2012
This book won several awards and deserved them all! Brilliant, heartbreaking, hopeful, it brings to life a world that most of us will never know. We see the impact of child soldiers on the boy and on his family left behind in his village. Wish there was a sequel!
August 27, 2019
This was an interesting read, discussing some important themes of freedom fighting and the ability to brainwash (particularly children) into joining a cause that they may or may not on their own believe in. The brutality in which these organisations go about achieving their means and ways, hiding behind the cloak of “we only take what we need”, really comes through here. Written for audiences much younger than I was, but doesn’t really shy away from difficult topics either which is good for a book of this sort. I recognise it’s potential as, say, a classroom read (as it isn’t too long and there are plenty of things to discuss), but for me I thought it was too shallow and had so much unfilled potential.
The way in which the story alternates between Rafiq/freedom fighters and Jameela/village was a good, albeit very underused, plot device. I thought there was so much more potential here to show how Rafiq and Jameela’s way of thinking are evolving away from their shared childhood, based on the environment that they find themselves in. I suppose the loss of Rafiq took it’s toll on Jameela as well, as she now became the sole “big sibling” whereas previously she and Rafiq could look out for and support one another. There was also real description of the anguish surrounding the family upon the loss of their first child, there are a few mentions of his mother mourning his loss and his father going into a bit of a state when Rafiq was first kidnapped, but they both seemed to just snap out of it and go on with their lives. Sure, both developed coping mechanisms, but they couldn’t have been whole and this part was completely unexplored right till the end.
I also thought the early freedom fighter scenes were much too bland, there was no real discussion or description on how Rafiq slowly gets brainwashed into the cause. It felt simply like the captors saying “do this”, he obeys orders until the day that he magically starts thinking of himself as a freedom fighter and plots his own attacks. The one time he shows a bit of emotion possibly, the scene of stoning the other boy from his village, was glossed over and we were back in obey orders mode again. And even then, he too seemed to just get on with it, that incident didn’t seem to affect him emotionally as I thought it should have (made him think of his village / rethink his choices / or even become less radical as a freedom fighter).
And that ending. Completely unnecessary for a book of this sort to end in that kind of a cliffhanger, which I absolutely hate. I have no problems with cliffhangers, particularly if they are a precursor to the next book or just to let the reader decide on their own what happens next, but here I felt like from the time Rafiq turned around and acknowledged his mother there was really no other alternative ending – so end it properly! The fact that he couldn’t recognise either his mother or Jameela was also a bit unrealistic, he’d been away from home about 5 years or so by that time (the time jumps weren’t always so defined so I lost track at places), and Jameela may have grown up in that time but surely there would be a semblance of recognition on his part. And in those five years, surely someone the age of his mother wouldn’t dramatically change in appearance to the extent that she became unrecognisable to her own son. It didn’t seem at this stage that Rafiq had been brainwashed by the freedom fighters, it seemed more a case of him getting amnesia the second he was taken from the village. I thought the author tried to allude to some sense of romanticism when she made it so that Rafiq didn’t want to blow up the police station “while that nice girl was inside” (not realising that she was his sister) but that thoughtline didn’t work for me and it felt incredibly overdone.
All in all an interesting storyline that drew me in, but not the best YA around. I haven’t read too many books on this topic (can’t actually think of another one I’ve read off the top of my head) so no better recommendations but the execution of this one just didn’t work for me, and there were just one too many elements (particularly in the last couple of chapters) which seemed to be too outrageous to take seriously. 2.5 stars, 2 on Goodreads.
The way in which the story alternates between Rafiq/freedom fighters and Jameela/village was a good, albeit very underused, plot device. I thought there was so much more potential here to show how Rafiq and Jameela’s way of thinking are evolving away from their shared childhood, based on the environment that they find themselves in. I suppose the loss of Rafiq took it’s toll on Jameela as well, as she now became the sole “big sibling” whereas previously she and Rafiq could look out for and support one another. There was also real description of the anguish surrounding the family upon the loss of their first child, there are a few mentions of his mother mourning his loss and his father going into a bit of a state when Rafiq was first kidnapped, but they both seemed to just snap out of it and go on with their lives. Sure, both developed coping mechanisms, but they couldn’t have been whole and this part was completely unexplored right till the end.
I also thought the early freedom fighter scenes were much too bland, there was no real discussion or description on how Rafiq slowly gets brainwashed into the cause. It felt simply like the captors saying “do this”, he obeys orders until the day that he magically starts thinking of himself as a freedom fighter and plots his own attacks. The one time he shows a bit of emotion possibly, the scene of stoning the other boy from his village, was glossed over and we were back in obey orders mode again. And even then, he too seemed to just get on with it, that incident didn’t seem to affect him emotionally as I thought it should have (made him think of his village / rethink his choices / or even become less radical as a freedom fighter).
And that ending. Completely unnecessary for a book of this sort to end in that kind of a cliffhanger, which I absolutely hate. I have no problems with cliffhangers, particularly if they are a precursor to the next book or just to let the reader decide on their own what happens next, but here I felt like from the time Rafiq turned around and acknowledged his mother there was really no other alternative ending – so end it properly! The fact that he couldn’t recognise either his mother or Jameela was also a bit unrealistic, he’d been away from home about 5 years or so by that time (the time jumps weren’t always so defined so I lost track at places), and Jameela may have grown up in that time but surely there would be a semblance of recognition on his part. And in those five years, surely someone the age of his mother wouldn’t dramatically change in appearance to the extent that she became unrecognisable to her own son. It didn’t seem at this stage that Rafiq had been brainwashed by the freedom fighters, it seemed more a case of him getting amnesia the second he was taken from the village. I thought the author tried to allude to some sense of romanticism when she made it so that Rafiq didn’t want to blow up the police station “while that nice girl was inside” (not realising that she was his sister) but that thoughtline didn’t work for me and it felt incredibly overdone.
All in all an interesting storyline that drew me in, but not the best YA around. I haven’t read too many books on this topic (can’t actually think of another one I’ve read off the top of my head) so no better recommendations but the execution of this one just didn’t work for me, and there were just one too many elements (particularly in the last couple of chapters) which seemed to be too outrageous to take seriously. 2.5 stars, 2 on Goodreads.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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January 24, 2017interesting that it raises awareness of this subject matter but did not like the book was too grim and depressing and ending was not an ending at all but left reader wondering what did Rafiq do..though given the rapid way he morphed into a terrorist/"child soldier"/"freedom fighter" it is not credible but that he would do the obvious..this book lacked depth and character development and was more suited to documentary than novel format.
April 17, 2020
This is one of the best novels I’ve studied as part of the new Junior Cycle. Mitchell’s language is really rich and the storyline grabbed the students’ attention. An unforgettable novel.
November 25, 2023
SMALL SPOILERS AHEAD!!!
Overall I really liked this book, I liked the idea of it and the writing style was great…. However, there are two major flaws that just put this off for me,
Number 1 (and this is more personal preference): I feel like Rafiq didn’t have lots of memorable interactions with the older soldiers, I wanted to see the dynamics and the chain of command, how they treat them individually especially because Rafiq was apparently really good, etc.
Number 2: I’m sorry to say it, but the ending was extremely unsatisfying. It wasn’t an ending, especially considering there’s no sequel, I feel cheated. The whole point of the book was to explore Jameelas and Rafiqs relationship after they reunited, but it barely gave us too lines and i feel like we’re missing out on so much potential.
Overall I really liked this book, I liked the idea of it and the writing style was great…. However, there are two major flaws that just put this off for me,
Number 1 (and this is more personal preference): I feel like Rafiq didn’t have lots of memorable interactions with the older soldiers, I wanted to see the dynamics and the chain of command, how they treat them individually especially because Rafiq was apparently really good, etc.
Number 2: I’m sorry to say it, but the ending was extremely unsatisfying. It wasn’t an ending, especially considering there’s no sequel, I feel cheated. The whole point of the book was to explore Jameelas and Rafiqs relationship after they reunited, but it barely gave us too lines and i feel like we’re missing out on so much potential.
February 17, 2022
Chalkline tells the story of a boy named Rafiq living on the Pakistani side of the border in Kashmir. When his school is ambushed by freedom fighters, being the tallest in his grade, he surpasses the height of the chalkline and is the youngest boy to be recruited. As he is trained to fight and kill in the mountains, his sister Jameela keeps his memory alive. The two share a tearful reunion at the end of the book. I wish there had been a little more historical content in the book, but otherwise I thought it was brilliant. Rafiq and Jameela have distinct character arcs - the author does a great job in progressing the loss of their innocence and journeys into adulthood. Really moving, engaging, and authentic.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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September 11, 2019This is a great story which starts when Rafiq is chosen as a new recruit for the Kashmir fighters clan just because of his height. In this new world, Rafiq has to face tragic violence of killing.
I recommend this book to anyone who likes a book with full action because there is always something going on
I recommend this book to anyone who likes a book with full action because there is always something going on
September 11, 2019
this was a very good book about war in Iraq and the main character is a nine year old boy that is called razsfiq he got lined up by people with guns and if he was taller then the chalk line on the wall he had to go with them and he was and thats why it is called chalk line this book is very interesting and some times confusing but overall i liked it
November 4, 2019
Very good
January 22, 2021
Väldigt fascinerande. Temat är inte något jag är intresserad av, men trots det, kunde jag inte lägga ned boken!
Very gosu
Very gosu
July 22, 2023
I had to read it for school but i took it home and wow it was really good actually.
March 6, 2017
Not bad, but I spoiled the ending for myself -_- Wish it had a bit more suspense though, and it would be better if another narration was used because I couldn't really feel much for the characters. Still, it was overall a nice story. <3
July 4, 2016
http://giridharanj.blogspot.in/2016/07/chalkline-jane-mitchell.html
Ever since my childhood, I have always wondered what is going on up north in Kashmir. I come from a town in south India and I used to find newspaper articles and clippings about the fights going on up in Kashmir, the northern border of India. I've always wondered how people managed to live in such high tension places while it was calm and peaceful down south. This book is a real eye-opener on the conditions and the type of life people lead in the beautiful and gorgeous Kashmir.
Rafiq is a 9-year old boy living with his family in one of the vilages in Kashmir valley. One fine morning, he is abducted by people who claim to be Kashmiri freedom fighters. He is cruelly separated from his family and is made to undergo rigorous training. Rafiq is brainwashed by the militants and is made to believe that the war they fight is a holy war fought for the liberation of Kashmiri people from the tyranny of India.
The hardships Rafiq undergo and the way the boy's mind is tuned to make him believe in what he is doing makes the readers sad. To think that everyday, many such boys are kidnapped and made to fight the war makes the reader's blood boil. This is a good read that exposes a part of the dark secrets that the valley of Kashmir holds.
A must-read for all people. The author has done a great job in making sure that she stays true to the plot and also in bringing out the necessary emotions from the readers. This is one book that will haunt you for a long time.
Ever since my childhood, I have always wondered what is going on up north in Kashmir. I come from a town in south India and I used to find newspaper articles and clippings about the fights going on up in Kashmir, the northern border of India. I've always wondered how people managed to live in such high tension places while it was calm and peaceful down south. This book is a real eye-opener on the conditions and the type of life people lead in the beautiful and gorgeous Kashmir.
Rafiq is a 9-year old boy living with his family in one of the vilages in Kashmir valley. One fine morning, he is abducted by people who claim to be Kashmiri freedom fighters. He is cruelly separated from his family and is made to undergo rigorous training. Rafiq is brainwashed by the militants and is made to believe that the war they fight is a holy war fought for the liberation of Kashmiri people from the tyranny of India.
The hardships Rafiq undergo and the way the boy's mind is tuned to make him believe in what he is doing makes the readers sad. To think that everyday, many such boys are kidnapped and made to fight the war makes the reader's blood boil. This is a good read that exposes a part of the dark secrets that the valley of Kashmir holds.
A must-read for all people. The author has done a great job in making sure that she stays true to the plot and also in bringing out the necessary emotions from the readers. This is one book that will haunt you for a long time.
May 10, 2016
I loved this book. It was heartbreaking and made me so restless to read the behind-the-scenes of a life of a militant. Powerful and shows how a person can change abruptly in a long period of time. At some places of the book, I felt Rafiq but other times, I would become angry at how severely his thoughts and dreams had been brainwashed by the militants but I guess he had no choice. It was utterly heartbreaking to see Rafiq snatched from his family who remembered him but Rafiq didn't remember anyone. We can though read how Rafiq sometimes got snippets of memories but he had actually little to no familiarity left.
Overall, in my opinion, it was a great book, giving us an insight how strong true love is. Even after the painful things Rafiq had done, his mother didn't forget him and was shocked to find Rafiq again. Shows that mother's love for her children is the strongest type of relationship in the world.
The book has many hidden lessons and enchanting themes which are set in the bizarre way possible. The cruelty to children in the Camp was heartbreaking and made me realize how this world so much messed up; in reality and in fictions.
Overall, in my opinion, it was a great book, giving us an insight how strong true love is. Even after the painful things Rafiq had done, his mother didn't forget him and was shocked to find Rafiq again. Shows that mother's love for her children is the strongest type of relationship in the world.
The book has many hidden lessons and enchanting themes which are set in the bizarre way possible. The cruelty to children in the Camp was heartbreaking and made me realize how this world so much messed up; in reality and in fictions.
May 13, 2016
This book has been a fun read and it was nice to have book clubs in which we would discuss about what happened in every two or three chapters and predict what was going on. The relationship between Rafiq and his sister Jameela was interesting because he used to be very close to him, and as an observer who watches both sides of the story, I was curious about what Rafiq and Jameela were thinking throughout the story after Rafiq was abducted by the Kashmiri freedom fighters. At the end, I was surprised that Rafiq showed no recognition of Jameela after he met her at the market five years later. At least Jameela thought he was a bit familiar.
I recommend this book to anyone who wants to read about child soldiers and situations in Asia/the Middle East.
I recommend this book to anyone who wants to read about child soldiers and situations in Asia/the Middle East.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 14, 2011
This is a very sad book about a boy who gets taken away from his village to become a terrorist.It is an interesting book and makes me think about why terrorists want to be terrorists.
I would suggest this book to people who like sad stories.
This book is a novel.
I would suggest this book to people who like sad stories.
This book is a novel.
February 8, 2011
I never though life that way before - a little difference could make such an impact, Rafiq was just a little taller than his classmates, and was chosen to be made into a Kashmiri soldier.
October 5, 2012
Excellent idea but unfortunatly found it unemotional and badly written.
February 16, 2016
Very good book!! Would recommend it. Heartbreaking read but also a powerful one.
December 4, 2018
Fuck.
Read this.
Read this.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews