Publication Date: 1 January 2026

The Blurb

Eleven-year-old Zubair is a seventh son. This means a LOT of big brothers. But when Zubair’s granny arrives from Pakistan and gives him a mysterious amulet, he discovers it means something else, too: he has inherited a gift. The seventh sons in his family have the ability to time-travel.

With his dad a shadow of his former self since his car accident, and his mum always tired and angry, Zubair has a genius idea. He’ll use time-travel to fix things between them.

But each trip comes at a cost. If he changes something small in the past, it can have a huge effect on his future. And if he gets it wrong, the results could be devastating . . .

The Review

It is such a treat to find a middle-grade debut that balances laugh-out-loud moments with the kind of emotional depth that stays with you long after the final page.

The relationship between Zubair and his grandmother is the shimmering golden thread that holds this story together. It is a bond built on shared secrets and quiet understanding. While the rest of the family is caught up in the chaos of daily life, Granny provides the historical and emotional anchor Zubair desperately needs. She is the keeper of the family’s past, and through her, Zubair begins to understand the weight of the gift he has inherited.

As Zubair explores his new abilities, the narrative takes a poignant turn towards the Partition of India. The book doesn’t shy away from the trauma of this historical event, weaving it into the family’s DNA. We see how the scars of the past ripple through generations, influencing how Zubair’s family interacts today. It’s a gentle yet powerful history lesson that explains why his elders carry the burdens they do.

Back in the present, Zubair’s home life is fracturing. Since his father’s car accident, the spark has gone out; his dad is a shadow of his former self, and his mum is constantly exhausted and irritable. The looming threat of divorce hangs heavy in the air, and Zubair, with the naive, beautiful optimism of a child, decides he can use his time-travel to fix his parents’ relationship. However, as any seasoned time-traveller knows, the butterfly effect is real. Zubair soon learns that small changes in the past can have devastating consequences for the future, grief and trauma can’t always be erased with a magic amulet, and that bravery isn’t about changing what happened, but finding the strength to live in the present.

This is a truly uplifting tale about the complexities of family love. It’s heartbreaking to watch Zubair try to carry the weight of his parents’ marriage on his young shoulders, but his journey towards acceptance is beautifully handled. It’s a story that celebrates Pakistani heritage while tackling universal themes of growing up and letting go.

If you would like to find out more about Partition, a good place to start is Lands of Belonging by Vikesh Kapoor and Donna Amey Bhatt.

Great for fans of:

• The Partition Project by Saadia Faruqi
• ​The Line They Drew Through Us by Hiba Noor Khan
• Time Travelling With A Hamster by Ross Welford

Huge thanks to Puffin Press for send8ng me a finished copy for review.