Tamarind & the Star of Ishta

Author: Bilan, Jasbinder

Published on 3 September 2020 by Chicken House Ltd in the United Kingdom.

From the author of the Costa Award-winning Asha &

the Spirit Bird comes a breathtaking, magical adventure

...

WINNER OF THE INDIE CHILDREN'S BOOK AWARD

LONGLISTED FOR THE BLUE PETER BOOK AWARD

'I absolutely adored it ... an achingly beautiful story' Sita

Brahmachari

'A lush, gorgeous setting in a novel as vivid and original

as her Costa-winning debut.' The Guardian

'Beautifully written, richly atmospheric and touchingly spiritual,

this brief novel sparkles like a polished gem' Daily

Mail

Tamarind never knew her Indian mum, who died soon after she was

born.

So when she arrives at her ancestral home, a huge mansion in the

Himalayas surrounded by luxuriant gardens, she's full of questions

for her extended family.

But instead of answers, she finds an ominous silence - and

a trickle of intriguing clues: an abandoned hut, a friendly monkey,

a glowing star ring, and a strange girl in the garden who calls

herself Ishta.

Slowly, Tamarind unravels a mystery at the heart of who she is

...

The second novel by Jasbinder Bilan, author of the Costa

Award-winning Asha & the Spirit Bird and a rising

star in middle-grade fiction.

Perfect for readers aged 9 and up - for fans of

Kiran Millwood Hargrave.

A beautiful and emotional family drama lightly woven

with magic, in a breathtaking Indian setting.