The boy magician Anand, his sassy partner Nisha, and their beloved teacher Abhaydatta reunite for a new adventure in Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni's second installment of her folkloric Indian fantasy series,
The Brotherhood of the Conch. Anand, having discovered his vocation as Keeper of the Conch, now lives in the Himalayan Silver Valley, where he is training to become a Healer in the Brotherhood. While practicing the art of far-seeing, Anand receives a vision of a terrified wise-woman, pleading for help. Devastated by Master Abhaydatta's decision to leave him behind while he goes to the woman's aid, Anand convinces the conch to create a magic portal that he and Nisha can use to suddenly appear by Abhaydatta's side. Unfortunately, during the metaphysical hurtle, Anand is separated from Nisha and the conch and thrown back in time to an ancient Indian kingdom, where an evil sorcerer is planning the downfall of the royal family. What hope does Anand have of defeating the sorcerer, locating his friends, and returning to his own time without the powerful conch? The answers may lie in the depths of the Mirror of Fire and Dreaming...
Divakaruni maintains the spare, poetic tone, exotic setting, and diverse cast of quirky characters that made The Conch Bearer so appealing to young fantasy readers. Evoking the magic and mystery of India and the Far East, this classic quest story will be enjoyed by middle grade fans of Shiva's Fire by Susanne Fisher Staples and Dragon Keeper by Carole Wilkinson. --Jennifer Hubert
Amazon.com's Significant Seven
Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni graciously agreed to answer the questions we like to ask every author: the Amazon.com Significant Seven.
Q: What book has had the most significant impact on your life?
A: Two have been equally significant. Where are you going? by Swami Muktananda, and Eckhart Tolle's The Power of Now.
Q: You are stranded on a desert island with only one book, one CD, and one DVD--what are they?
A: The book: The Bhagavad Gita. The music: any classical music CD by Ali Akbar Khan. The movie: The Lord of the Rings.
Q: What is the worst lie you've ever told?
A: When my son was little and wouldn't go to sleep, I told him that the red garbage truck would come and get him.
Q: Describe the perfect writing environment.
A: My study, where my computer faces a wall (to minimize outside distractions). On my desk is a dancing Shiva Nataraj, symbol of the cosmic creative principle.
Q: If you could write your own epitaph, what would it say?
A: "FOREVER LOVE"
Q: Who is the one person living or dead that you would like to have dinner with?
A: The Dalai Lama, or my spiritual teacher, Swami Muktananda
Q: If you could have one superpower, what would it be?
A: To heal the human heart
From School Library Journal
Grade 5-8–In this sequel to
The Conch Bearer (Roaring Brook, 2003), Anand and Nisha have just begun their schooling in magic when their mentor, Abhaydatta, is sent on a dangerous mission. Impatient to help, the kids and the conch leave the Silver Valley illicitly through a time/space portal (the mirror of the title) to help a contemporary Indian village escape the clutches of a spirit-sucking jinn that lurks in the forest. The focus is on the males, especially Anand, though Nisha and a wise-woman provide some help. Once again, evil is seeking a magic token that will give it dominance (shades of Tolkien's Ring). Anand travels still farther into the past, finding himself in a Mogul palace pretty much on his own. Seasoned with generous helpings of Hindi words (almost always explained in context), Divakaruni's novel offers the flavors, sounds, sights, and stories of past and present Bengal. The description of a jinn is masterly, and the values (don't run away; think for yourself; don't expect to be good at everything; use kindness and humility, not force) are solid, but unexceptionable. LeGuin appears to have been another influence, but to the good. In this fast-paced story, perhaps the young prince Mahabet changes too quickly to be convincing, but Anand remains a character of some depth, and he does the most growing here. Although this is the second book, it is self-contained. Fans will be looking for another adventure, promised to follow.
–Patricia D. Lothrop, St. George's School, Newport, RI Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
--This text refers to the
Hardcover
edition.
More About the Author
Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni's acclaimed novels for adults include the bestselling The Mistress of Spices, soon to be a motion picture. Her previous book for young readers, The Conch Bearer, was a Booklist Editors' Choice, Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year, and is a 2005 Texas Bluebonnet Award nominee. She teaches creative writing at the University of Houston and lives with her husband and two sons in Sugarland, Texas.
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Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs):
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chief healer, master healer, shal trees, punkah boys, punkah pullers, sleeping hall
Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs):
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Haider Ali, Silver Valley, Layla Bibi, Hall of Seeing, Zafar Miah, Crystal Hall, Master Abhaydatta, Books of Wisdom, Alley of Tailors, Lady Paribanou, Sona Dighi, Great Void, Emerald Room
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