A Darjeeling Tea Mystery: The Golden Necklace
Written by Mitali Perkins
Illustrated by Maithili Joshi
Published by Charlesbridge
Set within a tea plantation in Darjeeling, 7-10-year-old readers are transported across the world to a politically and culturally rich setting, following our brave heroine, Sona.
Sona, a 12-year-old Nepali girl, has struck up a friendship with Tara, the niece of the greedy tea plantation manager who has promised Tara’s hand in marriage in order to get his hands on her inheritance of precious jewelry. Then Tara’s gold jewelry goes missing. The search is on for the culprit, and Sona must use all her wits in order to prove it wasn’t her beloved brother, Samiran Daju, who stole it.
Primary ISBN: 9781623543730
Publication Date: October 2025
Available As: Hardcover, Paperback, eBook
Middle Grade, Age 07 or older
Community Represented: Nepali/Nepali American
Themes: Cross-Group Friendship, Discrimination: Cultural, Discrimination: Language Ability, Discrimination: Microaggression, Education & Literacy, Generation: 1st, Genre: Mystery, Identity: Multilingual, Multilingual: Bengali Featured Words, Multilingual: Hindi Featured Words, Multilingual: Nepali Featured Words, Own Voices/Lived Experience
Setting: India (Darjeeling)
Character's Place in the Immigration Journey: 1st Generation
Book Creator(s) Connection to the Community Represented: Own Voices/Lived Experience
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Source: Charlesbridge