Toads and Diamonds
Diribani has come to the village well to get water for her family's scant meal of curry and rice. She never expected to meet a goddess there. Yet she is granted a remarkable gift: Flowers and precious jewels drop from her lips whenever she speaks.It seems only right to Tana that the goddess...
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Diribani has come to the village well to get water for her family's scant meal of curry and rice. She never expected to meet a goddess there. Yet she is granted a remarkable gift: Flowers and precious jewels drop from her lips whenever she speaks.It seems only right to Tana that the goddess judged her kind, lovely stepsister worthy of such riches. And when she encounters the goddess, she is not surprised to find herself speaking snakes and toads as a reward.Blessings and curses are never so clear as they might seem, however. Diribani’s newfound wealth brings her a prince—and an attempt on her life. Tana is chased out of the village because the province's governor fears snakes, yet thousands are dying of a plague spread by rats. As the sisters' fates hang in the balance, each struggles to understand her gift. Will it bring her wisdom, good fortune, love . . . or death?Toads and Diamonds is a 2011 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.
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Format: hardcover
ISBN:
9780805089684 (0805089683)
Publish date: March 30th 2010
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.
Pages no: 288
Edition language: English
Category:
Fantasy,
Young Adult,
Teen,
Cultural,
Historical Fiction,
Romance,
Young Adult Fantasy,
Fairy Tales,
India,
Retellings,
Fairy Tale Retellings
I’m rather amazed I’ve never heard of Heather Tomlinson until the Book Smugglers reviewed this book and her other, The Swan Maiden. For all that this book had some problems it was still really well written, and Tomlinson deserves more recognition. The greatest part about the book was the fact that D...
Paused around page 240. So close to the end, but the story literally felt frozen. Will possibly pick it up again eventually.
Overall: I really enjoyed this book. The growth of both sisters was done well and even though they were not in the same place through most of the book, it still blended together well and didn't feel as if you were reading two separate books.Review originally posted:http://newborrowedused.blogspot.c...
A re-telling of the fairy tale by the same name. I enjoyed the twists on the original story. It seems to me interesting that in this version the main relationship is the one between the two sisters. I also enjoyed the setting.
Another enjoyable read. A different take on a story I've heard before. But this seemed more. . .believable, and far deeper, the characters getting fleshed out so they are more alive and more believable, even likable. All in all, a good read.
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