Staying on a ranch in a drought-ridden part of Mexico is not 12-year-old Carol's idea of a fun way to spend her summer holiday. She'd rather be hanging out with her American friends and getting ready to start a new phase of her life at high school. Her grandfather has dementia, his memory as dilapidated as his ranch, and there's a lot of tension between him and Carol's father as a result of unspoken family history. Carol herself is annoyed by his insistence on calling her either 'Rosa' (the name of her dead grandmother) or 'Carolina' - the Mexican version of her name which she despises.
But grandpa's obsession with the bees that he is convinced will bring the rain sparks Carol's curiosity - especially when she starts seeing and hearing bees everywhere. And his stories about a magical tree draw her closer to him and challenge her perception of her Mexican roots and her family history.
This is beautiful magical realism where, at times, like grandpa's memories, it's difficult to say what is real life and what is story. It's exploration of identity puts it at the top end of the middle-grade age scale, but it would be a great read for 'tweens' who aren't quite ready for full-on teen/YA but are itching for a challenging and thought-provoking read.
First up, I have to confess that I was pre-dispositioned to love this book, having read some extracts and already knowing it was beautifully-written, giving an intriguing insight into life in Tibet. But, now I've seen those extracts embedded into the story (and read them in the right order!), I'm totally blown away by this fast-paced adventure across the Himalayas.
Tash lives in a Tibetan village, controlled by Chinese soldiers, and has learned there are rules to follow if she wants to survive. One of those rules is that you don't mention the Dalai Lama. When a villager sets himself on fire in protest at Chinese rule, Tash's parents come under suspicion. Just before they are arrested, her father gives her a backpack containing a letter with a secret message for the resistance movement that they belong to. And so Tash begins a journey across the Himalayas with her best friend Sam and two loveable yaks, Bones and Eve. She's determined to reach India, where the Dalia Lama lives in exile, to ask him for help with rescuing her parents. As she and Sam travel, they attempt to unravel the mysterious secret code in her father's letter. The journey is treacherous and everything is against them - the weather, the terrain, the Chinese authorities - and their friendship is put to the test. Can they reach India, save Tash's parents and crack the hidden message in her father's letter?
The book is beautifully packaged with a gorgeous cover designed by Rob Biddulph, and each chapter begins with black and white illustrations that were just begging for me to get my colouring pencils out...
So, not only is this a fantastic adventure story, with a secret code to decipher, it's also a mindfulness colouring book!! What more could you possibly want!?
Staying on a ranch in a drought-ridden part of Mexico is not 12-year-old Carol's idea of a fun way to spend her summer holiday. She'd rather be hanging out with her American friends and getting ready to start a new phase of her life at high school. Her grandfather has dementia, his memory as dilapidated as his ranch, and there's a lot of tension between him and Carol's father as a result of unspoken family history. Carol herself is annoyed by his insistence on calling her either 'Rosa' (the name of her dead grandmother) or 'Carolina' - the Mexican version of her name which she despises.
