Toads and Diamonds [Hardcover]

Heather Tomlinson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 30, 2010

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.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Starred Review. Grade 7 Up This is an impressive reimagining of Perrault's classic tale, set in precolonial India. Stepsisters Diribani and Tana are on the edge of poverty when they are blessed and cursed by the goddess Naghali-ji. Diribani, the beautiful and polite one, speaks flowers and jewels every time a sound is uttered from her perfect lips, while Tana, often rude, speaks toads and snakes. Soon Diribani is taken in by a handsome prince who seeks to protect her from those who would use her gift for ill. Tana's fate is not so comfortable, as she is forced out of the village before she is caught by the authorities. Tomlinson creates a rich story with opulent visuals that make the teens' world come to life. Readers can feel the hard jewels in Diribani's mouth, and taste the dirt and dust as Tana flees. Best of all, Tomlinson creates a truly remarkable bond between the girls, obliterating the trite stepsister stereotype. The text may be challenging at times, but this extraordinary entry in the retellings genre is definitely worth its weight in diamonds. Fans of Shannon Hale and Robin McKinley will eat it up. Lisa Marie Williams, East Gwillimbury Public Library, Holland Landing, Ontario
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From Booklist

*Starred Review* Set in the fictional Indian land of Hundred Kingdom, Tomlinson’s memorable novel employs magic realism to explore a universal truth: an individual’s gifts and talents are not always as they might seem. Stepsisters Diribani and Tana are blessed by the goddess Naghali-ji in very different ways. When Diribani speaks, flowers and gemstones fall from her mouth. Tana’s talent seems to be more of a curse: she produces frogs and snakes when she talks. While Diribani is held at the opulent court of the Believers, where her every jewel is collected and tallied for the kingdom’s profit, Tana is chased from her village by its snake-fearing residents. Taking on the disguise of a mute stable hand, she returns, and with her unusual abilities, she saves the land. Tomlinson is a master craftsman, and as in her highly regarded The Swan Maiden (2007), she creates a vivid setting. Lavish details starkly contrast the two girls’ lives and personalities while emphasizing their strength, purpose, and enduring love for each other, despite their predicaments. The complexities of the cultural backstory pose a challenge to readers, but this beautifully embroidered adventure is well worth the effort. Grades 8-12. --Frances Bradburn

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR); First Edition edition (March 30, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0805089683
• ISBN-13: 978-0805089684
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #583,062 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent take on a less well known tale, April 9, 2011

By 

Serena F. "Firesong" (suburbia USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Toads and Diamonds (Hardcover)

I admit it: I chose this book by its cover, at my local library. But it lived up to my hopes. I like the use of a fairy tale not covered by Disney. I appreciate the South Asian setting that provides a refreshing change of scene, as well as a reason for people to perceive the ability to conjure snakes and toads as blessing rather than a curse. I like that the stepsisters love each other and their mother/stepmother instead of being rivals as in a traditional fairy tale.

The plot offers plenty of adventure. The details of the setting give a nice view of a fascinating culture. The main characters are richly depicted; their thoughts sound realistic for young women. Tana's tendency to put herself down and Diribati's occasional daydreaming counterbalance the girls' many virtuous traits. Secondary characters are interesting too. The swift-moving plot doesn't allow much time to get to know them, but we see that they are more than just cardboard cutouts, each having their own lives and motivations. The hardships the girls face, from the discomforts of heat and hunger, to working with manure all day, to plague and the danger of physical violence, are all real and grim enough without being gratuitously horrifying.

I was grateful for the author's note that this is not meant to truly show India or the Mughal empire, but only a similar imaginary country reminiscent of a certain place and time. I would not have known the difference. I would have liked a drawing or two of the costumes of the Believers and the indigenous people, as I had a hard time picturing the outfits just from the text descriptions.

In response to the three-star review: "the story is somewhat standard in the story concepts it uses. There are some slaves, a lot of running, and haughty nobles." Good stories tend to be built on one of a few common frameworks, because they work well. The coming-of-age journey story, in which the main character grows wiser and stronger as he travels, is classic. This is not a drawback. Also, this book includes servants, but I don't recall them being described as slaves specifically, and the haughty nobles are there to flesh out the story; at least one of them turns out to be not so haughty.

On a tangent: if you enjoyed this book, you might also like The Secrets of Jin-shei. It has more of a fantastical element and is darker, definitely an adult book rather than young adult.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Interesting but not fantastic, November 30, 2010

By 

Sniffly Kitty (United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Toads and Diamonds (Hardcover)

The sister who speaks toads also speaks snakes, and the author makes this into a good thing. Granted, making this into a good thing is not an easy task, and Tomlinson has a pretty good crack at it although the result still seems contrived.

Both sisters go on a journey, and their stories are intertwined. The transitions between the stories are pretty well done. Other than the twist of the fairy tale, the story is somewhat standard in the story concepts it uses. There are some slaves, a lot of running, and haughty nobles.

This was not a terrible novel but it was also not a fantastic one.

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Splendid Retelling!, April 7, 2010

By 

Diamonds And Toads (Indiana) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Toads and Diamonds (Hardcover)

"Toads and Diamonds" is a brilliant, but sadly-neglected fairy tale. To my great joy and entertainment,, Tomlinson's book is an enchantingly rich retelling, seething with the loveliness of India, the enchantments of a goddess, and, best of all, real friendship. It's a delight to see this old story of step-family rivalry recast as a story of sisterly solidarity. Best of all, the story thoroughly examines the notion of the trickiness of magical "gifts" and "curses." I would encourage adult fairy tale lovers to check this out!