Tamarind and the Star of Ishta
Author(s): Jasbinder Bilan, Jasbinder Bilan
Tamarind has never met her Indian mother, Chinty, who died shortly after she was born. But when her father remarries, Tamarind is sent to India to stay with the family she has never met, in their atmospheric ancestral home—a huge mansion high in the Himalaya mountains.
Her arrival in India brings culture shock, secrets, and unanswered questions: What is the tension between her father and the family, and why will no one talk about her mother? Instead of answers, she is greeted with ominous silence.
Taking refuge in the lush gardens one moon-lit night, she follows a friendly monkey to find an abandoned hut and a glowing star ring, and meets Ishta, a mysterious mountain girl. Tamarind unravels the mysteries of the house alongside the search for her own identity.
Review(s):
“A lush, gorgeous setting in a novel as vivid and original as her Costa-winning debut.” – The Guardian
“Beautifully written, richly atmospheric and touchingly spiritual, this brief novel sparkles like a polished gem.” – Daily Mail
“Weaves together themes of identity, belonging and bereavement with mythology and magical realism, all within the stunning setting of a grand old house in India.” – Booktrust
Praise for Asha and the Spirit Bird
2019 Costa Children’s Book of the Year
Winner of the Times/Chicken House Fiction Prize (UK)
Shortlisted for the Waterstones Children's Book Prize 2020 (UK)
Longlisted for the Jhalak Prize 2020 (UK)
Nominated for the Carnegie Medal (UK)
ISBN: 9781338769432