Moth: An Evolution Story

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This is the first partition book I have read from a non-Indian author and all I can say is Melody Razak has done a commendable job. The research is impeccable and the atmosphere she creates with her sense of time and the place will drag you right in and make you a part of the story; living and breathing with the characters. They are also important pollinators. Alessandro says, 'Moths pollinate a wide variety of plants, including wildflowers and some crops, as they search for nectar.' What do moths eat? For the first time in print, celebrated storytelling phenomenon The Moth presents fifty spellbinding, soul-bearing stories selected from our extensive archive (eighteen years-plus years and 20,000-plus stories strong). Inspired by friends telling stories on a porch, The Moth was born in small-town Georgia, garnered a cult following in New York City, and then rose to national acclaim with the wildly popular podcast and Peabody Award– winning weekly public radio show, The Moth Radio Hour.

The Moth | Books The Moth | Books

While friends turned on friends, neighbors vilifying each other, MOTH by Melody Razak is not the big picture of what was happening everywhere but a deeper insight into one family particularly which impressed in forging a personal connection with the characters and becoming one with the family. The elephant hawkmoth has unmistakable pink and olive-green wings. It is found in a variety of habitats across the UK and Ireland, including urban areas. I know little of this moment in history. However, Moth has inspired me to learn more. This book gives the reader emotion and despair from one family’s point of view in a very impactful way. That’s a pretty utilitarian summary, but Thomas’s book is very lyrical and Egneus’s beautiful illustrations make for a wonderful read. A great opener for a lesson on adaptation. I’m hoping my Biology teachers will embrace this. Concise Guide to Moths of Great Britain and Ireland. Paul Waring, Martin Townsend and illustrated by Richard Lewington.When we discussed this book in our class, we did notice that there wasn't a lot of research documented in the book, but I did like it. I've done lots of activities surrounding the peppered moths and natural selection and I think this book is a great example of both good writing and an introduction to an interesting topic that kids may not know about. The illustrations are fun, and the writing is interesting, so kids will be engaged in the book. It was longlisted for the Desmond Elliott Prize for debut novels, and is quite an impressive debut, mostly set in Delhi at the time of the partition that created independent India and Pakistan.

Moth by Melody Razak | Review by Mairéad Hearne Moth by Melody Razak | Review by Mairéad Hearne

Garden tiger moths have a flair for deterring predators. Alessandro explains, 'If disturbed, the moth displays its gaudy hindwings and can produce yellow fluid from behind its head.' Alma is the daughter of two professors, coming from an educated upper class family, you'd expect her fate to be reaching for the stars. Instead, the stars are literally dictating her future. When her horoscope predicts ill, her well-intentioned grandmother lies to get her a good marriage match. This sets off a series of events that tears her family apart. Set in the time of Partition and Indian Independence, we get a deep dive into the turmoil of the time, especially the impact on women's rights. Sexual assault, rape, violence, sexism, xenophobia, racism, gore, animal violence, incest, explicit sexual scenes. Mom: Why do you think that Isabel Thomas wrote this story? What do you think she wants us to learn?Devastating, heartbreaking and a hard read this was. The violence between humans, especially towards the weaks, the appaling misogynistic views on women with their housewives duties, the disgusting act of child marriages that was so prominent, the unfairness of caste system, there are so many themes that were so hard to discussed yet this book brought all of this to the light. All i can say this was such a difficult to read for how graphic some of the scenes are, for how it gets me to actually look at this and see how horrible they are. British and Irish moths: an illustrated guide to selected difficult species. Martin Townsend, Jon Clifton & Brian Goodey, 2010. Information and photographs of 72 difficult to identify macro-moths, which often require close examination or genitalia determination. Butterfly Conservation. Moths, like all insects, provide vital ecological services, including as food sources for other organisms. Their predators include birds, mammals and spiders.

Moth Books - WWB Moth Books - WWB

Alessandro says, 'Male emperor moths fly during the day in sunshine, using feathered antennae to smell out the pheromones produced by females. UKMoths is built, run and maintained by Ian Kimber, with thanks to the many kind contributors who provide photos and information. Immersing herself in the culture resulted in a very credible story as Melody Razak brings the characters of Moth very much alive for the reader. This is the tale of a family that is torn asunder by the unexpected atrocities inflicted during Partition, a family that had a standing in society, two intellectual parents and their young daughters Alma and Roop. We learn about the collapse of the British Raj and the Partition. I did not understand it all, but equally did not want to. I was more interested in how these events were told through the eyes of a family caught up in it all. A stunning display of writing by pupils at Harrow Gate Academy, whose teachers used Moth as part of CLPE’s Power of Reading

Nine colourful and distinctive types of UK moths

How fortunate we are that these storytellers were willing to channel their inner memories into these strong and radiant stories.” –Meg Wolitzer, From The Forward Otter class at Braeburn Primary Academy used Moth in their lessons about adaptation and evolution, and created these beautiful non-fiction diagrams This one really explores not only the cultural divide that was perpetrated by the British that led to serious violence. Equally it explores gender roles within the different cultures and how even educated women struggled in a male dominated society. It also touches upon the caste system and its impact on different people's fortunes. I felt like I learned a lot but was also touched by the different generations of this family and the impact of their decisions as they rippled through the most turbulent time of their lives. Whilst it is Partition that drives the book forward, the focus is predominantly on the women. The Guardian review finishes by saying: With its unflinching focus on violence against women, her strong, captivating debut tells a story that is at once firmly rooted in a time and place and yet pressingly relevant to the here and now.

Moth identification guides | Butterfly Conservation Moth identification guides | Butterfly Conservation

For a longer look at natural selection and the story behind Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace’s theory, I have written a book especially for KS2 readers, published by Oxford University Press – The Misadventures of Charles Darwin. Have a look inside here. The infighting between religious factions takes an unconscionable toll on the female population that was exceptionally difficult to read about. Razak was brilliant to have used a progressive family to journey through this experience, providing home as a necessary balance to the proliferating injustices. Moth zeros in on a complex time in India's history: the late 1940s during independence from British rule coinciding with the partition of Pakistan under the All India Muslim League. I do not know enough about the politics or religion to speak intelligently. If I read 5 more books set in this time and place, I might be able to string a sentence together. My thoughts on the book focus on storytelling and characterization. Both were superb.Year 6 pupils at Grange Farm Primary School in Coventry worked in small teams to explore the impact of pollution on the peppered moth, natural selection and survival! Alessandro says, 'This lovely red and dark moth flies mainly at night but it can also be seen on sunny days from May to early August if disturbed. This was by no means an easy read. It's painful and harrowing and graphic in its horrifying truths but it's also beautifully written, illuminating, honest and the perfect read for anyone wanting to further understand the partition in all its stages. Everything I experienced – from the architecture, people, landscape, colour (the food!), the places of worship and daily religious rituals – is filtered into the novel’s minutiae."