Tamarind & the Star of Ishta

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.