Tamarind & the Star of Ishta

From the author of the Costa Award-winning Asha & the Spirit Bird comes a breathtaking, magical adventure . . . 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, Chinty, 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. A beautiful and emotional family drama lightly woven with magic, in a breathtaking Indian setting.