From the acclaimed author of Climbing the Stairs comes a fascinating story of a young girl who must lead her tribe into the future on an island that time forgot.
“The research Venkatraman incorporated into this novel is apparent. . . . A fantastic cultural story.”—VOYA
“The larger issues of modernity versus tradition offer much to think about.”—Booklist, starred review
Uido is ecstatic when she’s chosen to become the oko-jumu, or spiritual leader, of her island tribe. But as excited as she is to complete her training, what looms largest on Uido’s mind are the strangers from a nearby island who have started visiting her island.
The strangers tempt the tribe members with gifts, making them curious about modern life, and show little respect for nature or the spirits. When Uido’s beloved little brother falls deathly ill, and the tribe’s medicine doesn’t work, her courage and beliefs are severely tested. If she journeys to the strangers’ island for help, will she shake her tribe’s belief in their old ways and thus destroy her own culture?
Drawing on firsthand experience from her travels to the Andaman Islands, Padma Venkatraman was inspired to write this story after meeting with natives who overcame a natural disaster and preserved their unique way of life despite several threats to their survival. Uido’s transformation from a young girl to a tribal leader will touch both your heart and mind.
