Tamarind and the Star of Ishta
Written by Jasbinder Bilan
Published by Scholastic, Inc.
Tamarind has never met her Indian mother, Chinty, who died shortly after she was born. But when her father remarries, Tamarind is sent to India to stay with the family she has never met, in their atmospheric ancestral home—a huge mansion high in the Himalaya mountains.
Her arrival in India brings culture shock, secrets, and unanswered questions: What is the tension between her father and the family, and why will no one talk about her mother? Instead of answers, she is greeted with ominous silence.
Taking refuge in the lush gardens one moon-lit night, she follows a friendly monkey to find an abandoned hut and a glowing star ring, and meets Ishta, a mysterious mountain girl. Tamarind unravels the mysteries of the house alongside the search for her own identity.
Primary ISBN: 9781338769432
Publication Date: June 2022
Available As: Hardcover, Audiobook, eBook
Middle Grade , Age 08 or older
Community Represented: Indian/Indian American
Themes: Accolades & Awards, Coming of Age, Family Relationship: Parents, Generation: 1st, Genre: Fantasy & Folklore, Own Voices/Lived Experience, Setting: Home Country, Trauma & Healing: Death of Family or Friend
Setting: India
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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