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Original Essays | September 23, 2009

Jonathan Lethem: IMG Stops: On Those Things My New Novel Forgot to Be About, Maybe



For me, there's a weird, unfathomable gulf — I almost wrote gulp — between the completion of a novel and its publication. Some days this duration feels interminable, as though the book has... Continue »
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    Chronic City

    Jonathan Lethem

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3 Beaverton Children's Middle Readers- General

Other titles in the Brotherhood of the Conch series:

  1. The Mirror of Fire and Dreaming

The Conch Bearer

by Chitra B Divakaruni

The Conch Bearer Cover

ISBN13: 9780689872426
ISBN10: 0689872429
Condition: Standard
All Product Details

Only 3 left in stock at $3.95!

Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments:

In a dingy shack in the less-than-desirable Indian neighborhood he calls home, twelve-year-old Anand is entrusted with a conch shell that possesses mystical powers. His task is to return the shell to its rightful home many hundreds of miles away. Accompanying him are Nisha, a headstrong but resourceful child of the streets, and a mysterious man of indeterminate age and surprising resources named Abadhyatta. His quest will take him farther from home than he's ever been and will teach him more than he ever imagined — and it will force him to make a poignant decision that will change him forever.

Review:

"Divakaruni (The Mistress of Spices) makes her children's book debut with this exotic novel, in which fantasy threads intertwine with spiritual teachings. While 12-year-old Anand is at work one day at a tea stall in Kolkata, India, he offers a beggar man his own ration of tea and pooris, only to discover that the man is a healer, Abhaydatta. Abhaydatta enlists Anand's help in his mission to return a sacred conch shell to the community of Master Healers that live in the Himalayas. The way in which Abhaydatta wins Anand's confidence is just a preview of the magic and miracles to follow (he heals Anand's sister, who had stopped speaking after witnessing a murder). A street urchin joins the pair on their journey; Surabhanu, the one who stole the conch from its rightful place in the Himalayas, with powers dark enough to match Abhaydatta's light, dogs their every step; and the journey itself brims with magical beasts and enchanted streams, cliffs and winds. As with any true quest, Anand must look within in order to complete his mission. Divakaruni keeps her tale fresh and riveting with details of India's smells, sights and tastes, with characters that possess both good and evil, and with her exploration of the fine line between faith and magic. Young readers can only hope for more from this master storyteller. Ages 8-up." Publishers Weekly (Starred Review) (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)

Review:

"This book is a real page-turner...you'll stay up late to finish it."

--Chicago Tribune

Review:

"Divakaruni [is] a gifted storyteller....Though [she] beguiles us with the sights and sounds of an exotic place, what she really does is make us feel at home."

--Los Angeles Times

Review:

"The action is exciting, and the Indian setting makes this story new and different."

--Washington Post

Synopsis:

The acclaimed short-story author and poet transports readers from the teeming streets of India to the rolling Himalayas, in this lyrical, exotic, and rich middle-grade fantasy.

What Our Readers Are Saying

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Average customer rating based on 2 comments:
berryvirgo, August 19, 2006 (view all comments by berryvirgo)
I'm indian and I could relate to alot of things. But this book was amazing! The ending will surprise anyone! (Anand's choice)
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(9 of 17 readers found this comment helpful)
sierra_rj, July 31, 2006 (view all comments by sierra_rj)
An interesting book. This author's writing style is different than other books I've read but I really liked it. I couldn't stop reading this book until the end!
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(8 of 14 readers found this comment helpful)
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Product Details

ISBN:
9780689872426
Author:
Divakaruni, Chitra B
Publisher:
Aladdin Paperbacks
Author:
Divakaruni, Chitra Banerjee
Author:
Petrov, Anton
Subject:
Action & Adventure
Subject:
Science Fiction, Fantasy, & Magic
Subject:
Children's 9-12 - Fiction - General
Subject:
Animals - Lions Tigers Leopards etc.
Subject:
Action & Adventure - General
Subject:
Fantasy & Magic
Copyright:
Edition Description:
B102
Series:
Brotherhood of the Conch
Publication Date:
March 2005
Binding:
Paperback
Grade Level:
Children/juvenile
Language:
English
Pages:
272
Dimensions:
782x548x73 41
Age Level:
08-12

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