Summary
School Library Journal:
Gr 4-7 –Anand’s compassionate gesture of sharing his tea with an old man in a Calcutta market leads to radical changes in the 12-year-old’s life. The stranger is a member of the Brotherhood of Healers and invites the boy to join him on a dangerous journey to return a magical conch shell to its proper home in the far-off Himalayas. Along with Nisha, a sweeper-girl who insists on joining them, Anand and Abhaydatta travel to the mountains pursued by the evil Surabhanu, a power-hungry ex-member of the brotherhood. Anand struggles in his own mind, doubting Abhaydatta’s motives and the existence of magic, jealous of Nisha’s comfortable relationship with the old man, and occasionally succumbing to Surabhanu’s tempting illusions. When he finally reaches the Silver Valley, more challenges await him before he can enter. In the end, he faces the most difficult choice of all–to stay in the world of magic he had always dreamed of or return to his family. This quest adventure has an exotic flavor: the journey from a crowded Indian city through rural villages and the high mountains, a magical background from traditional Indian tales, and deliciously detailed description of Indian foods. Honesty, loyalty, and compassion are the virtues demanded by the Healers; Anand’s actions show that he has all three. Readers can sympathize with his struggles and long for his success. This traditional story in fresh new clothing should appeal to middle graders.–Kathleen Isaacs, Edmund Burke School, Washington, DC –Kathleen Isaacs (Reviewed December 1, 2003) (School Library Journal, vol 49, issue 12, p149)
Awards:
- Booklist Editors’ Choice – Books for Youth – Middle Readers Category: 2003