The Conch Bearer (2003)
Mythical, mystical — and impossible to put down, The Conch Bearer is literary fiction of the highest order. Action, adventure and magic combine in this compelling quest fantasy that whisks readers to a far away land and to a reading experience they won’t soon forget. The Conch Bearer is a feast for the senses with a multitude of colors, smells, sounds, and textures. It’s a feast of the emotions as readers feel fear, hope, joy, trepidation, sadness, and wonder — right along with the main characters. And it’s a feast for adventure-lovers – a fast paced story that races across contemporary India to a dramatic climax in the Himalayas.
The story opens in a poor section of Kolkata, where 12-year-old Anand is entrusted with a conch shell imbued with mystical powers. Anand’s task is to return the shell to its rightful home high in the mountains. Will he succeed? Accompanied by a mysterious stranger and a resourceful street urchin, Anand will encounter good and evil – both in himself and in those around him.
Praise for The Conch Bearer:
“Divakaruni keeps her tale fresh and riveting with details of India’s smells, sights and tastes, with characters that possess both good and evil, and with her exploration of the fine line between faith and magic, Young readers can only hope for more from this master storyteller.” (??Publisher’s Weekly??, starred review)
“With adventures, magic, spirituality, fantasy and a fast trek from Kolkata, India, to a hidden paradise high in the Himalayas (while dodging evil at every turn), The Conch Bearer is everything the perfect tale should be.” (??Dallas Morning News??)
“With so many fantasies being published, what’s special about this one? It’s the unique setting, along with the elegance of Divakaruni’s writing. The slums of “Kalcutta” are so richly created that readers can almost smell them, and the pure beauty of Anand’s destination is a shimmering Shangri-La come to life. The characterizations have the same lucidity, real to the core, yet cloaked in magic. This speaks directly to children, in a very enticing voice.” (??Booklist??, starred review)
“Motivated by the tensions and hate crimes that flared after Sept. 11, specifically those aimed at her ethnic community, Divakaruni strives to stress the similarities, not differences, among people through the tale of a 12-year-old Indian boy…The rich details in the story, cultivated from imagination, folklore and memories of the author’s own upbringing in India, offer readers colorful snapshots of the land and its culture.” (??The Houston Chronicle??)
